Telling the ECSA Story

Lilongwe, September 27, 2023 – CARE International in Malawi in collaboration with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) and ten national non-governmental organizations launches the Humanitarian Partnership Platform (HPP) which is set to champion the locally-led drive for a responsive response to humanitarian crises. The shared goal of HPP partners is to be among the first responders when help is needed the most while enabling women’s leadership in emergencies. The primary objective of this initiative is to streamline and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the locally led and gendered humanitarian response, with a strong emphasis on well-coordinated planning and execution for both response and recovery operations in line with the Grand Bargain commitments. This collaborative endeavour aims to extend its national footprint and deepen preparedness, response, and recovery operations, thereby making a substantial impact at the national, district and community level

Participants now have stable running water they are using to irrigate their gardens. © Titukulane RFSA 2023/Samuel Chibaya Although Cyclone Freddy severely battered much of Zomba, lives and property were saved, thanks to the adoption of watershed protection practices. Led by Lifa Village Natural Resource Management Committee (VNMRC), over 3,000 households protected their watershed with water and soil conservation structures such as swales, check dams, eyebrows, deep trenches, and stone bunds before the devastating rainy season. Evelyn Mwada, secretary for Lifa Watershed in Zomba, recounted the effectiveness of the protection measures: "When the stormy winds and torrential rains came, many of the structures stood strong. Out of 3,000 check dams, only 168 were damaged; out of 1,050 swales, 700 were damaged; out of 500 cubic meters of stone bunds, 100 were damaged, and there was no damage on the 1,000 cubic meters of deep trenches. Titukulane has trained us on how to protect our area

  Currently, Africa is warming up faster than the rest of the world, on average, and is impacted the most due to Climate Change. From cataclysmic cyclones to increased pest infestations; devastating droughts to disastrous floods, the climate crisis is decimating communities and destroying lives across the continent. Yet, Africa contributes less than 4% of the world’s total emissions. According to current projections, climate change will be responsible for an additional 100 million people living in poverty by 2030. Although the impacts of climate change are being felt across the globe, the consequences for poor and marginalized communities especially in Africa are by far the most severe. African governments are bearing the brunt of the enormous costs of climate change impacts .   The Africa Union in partnership with the Kenyan government will host the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya from Monday 4 th   September 2023. The Summit provides a unique opportunity for the cont