Environmental Activist Maloto Chimkombero has described President Reverend Dr. Lazarus Chakwera as a ‘pathological’ liar.
The fearless Lilongwe based environmental activist Chimkombero was reacting to recent remarks by Dr. Chakwera in which he said Malawi is making strides in fighting climate change.
President Chakwera made the remark in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he is attending the Fifth Globe Sustainable Technology and Innovation Community (G-STIC) conference.
“We have developed and are implementing the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA) and a National Climate Change Response Framework (NCCRF).
“In 2016, Malawi adopted the National Climate Change Management Policy (NCCMP) which provides strategic direction to our priorities for climate change interventions covering both adaptation and mitigation,” he said.
He said Malawi has also put in place a series of legislative sectoral frameworks and strategies to integrate environment and climate change management in socio-economic development activities, including within the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III) and the Malawi Vision 2063.
Chakwera said Malawi has also established a Climate Change Fund as a basket for climate financing.
“Its purpose is to ensure that we manage climate finance by facilitating the collection, blending, coordination, disbursement and tracking of climate finance in line with the Enhanced Transparency Framework under the Paris Agreement,” President Chakwera stated.
He said with all these initiatives, the country expects to achieve a diversified, targeted and modern climate change management program.
“Our key performance indicators will be a six per cent annual increase of land developed for irrigation; a moratorium on the market use of inefficient appliances and equipment which lead to higher energy consumption; an enhanced public understanding of climate change issues and lastly, greater use of adaptation and mitigation technologies in agriculture and health,” he said.
In an interview with a local media Chimkombero said President Chakwera lied to the delegates as Malawi still ranks behind in addressing issues of climate change.
“I don’t know what measures the government has used to come up with that message to the international community.
I can arguably say that we are not yet there to the extent that we can boast before international community,” said Chimkombero, who is also founder for Save the Future Foundation.
He added: “There are many policies and strategies that the government established but what is happening on the ground is totally different,”
Meanwhile, Chimkombero has called on the government to start prioritize efforts aimed at curbing effects of climate change and environment degradation if the country is to win the battle.
