Malawi

Joint Country Entry Study

Malawi's development trajectory is deeply intertwined with its water security. Seasonal water scarcity and inadequate infrastructure threaten agricultural productivity. Hydropower, which supplies 98% of electricity, faces disruption.

The UK Government's Just Transitions for Water Security (JTWS) aims to support better water management in the face of climate change.

The JTWS Malawi Water Security Leadership Forum in March 2025 brought together 100 leaders and decisionmakers, defining opportunities for the three JTWS initiatives to support Malawi.

  • WRT is a tool and diagnostic guide which supports the understanding and enhancement of water resilience in national climate plans.

    The initial implementation of Water Resilience Tracker for National Climate Change Planning in Malawi has provided key insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the Malawian National Climate Change Planning Framework.

    Opportunities for the Tracker to support Malawi include:

    • Institutionalisation of the Water Resilience Tracker for National Climate Planning

    • Utilise the Water Resilience Tracker as a learning tool

    • Iteratively develop the Water Resilience Tracker assessment framework over time

    • Apply the Water Resilience Tracker as a policy and planning development tool

  • Launched at COP26, FWF is a partnership between government, the private sector, financial institutions and civil society that aims to 'harness the power of trade, enterprise, and communities, to help deliver sustainable water and sanitation for all by 2030'.

    Malawi was one of the first governments to sign up to the 2021 Glasgow Declaration for Fair Water Footprints and commit to delivering sustainable water and sanitation for all by 2030. At the beginning of 2025, representatives from Malawi presented the progress it has made against its pledge, particularly in the agricultural sector (alongside Belgium, the UK is its top export market for agricultural commodities) at an event at Chatham House in London.

  • RWA works to design and develop replicable investment models that channel private and commercial finance to strengthen water security and climate resilience.

    In Malawi, RWA is exploring how innovative financing tools can be used to resolve the issues of high energy costs and inadequate infrastructure for water storage and irrigation in the agriculture sector.

Key opportunities for JTWS in Malawi

Read our full analysis of the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors shaping water security in Malawi in our Joint Country Entry Study.

    • Strengthen national and local water governance frameworks for coordination and equity

    • Strengthen legal and institutional frameworks for sustainable investment

    • Build a resilient, inclusive and climatesmart water economy

    • Expand access to equitable, safe and climate-resilient WaSH services

    • Leverage innovation and data to drive water security and efficiency

    • Scale integrated water resource management and climate adaptation Improve monitoring, enforcement and accountability mechanisms

    • Consider the dependencies of sectors such as mining, energy, land and forestry on water resources.

    • Deforestation for charcoal and increased erosion/sedimentation are significant issues that impact downstream water infrastructure.

    • Limited access to data from Ministry of Water and Sanitation. There is a public platform for GIS data managed by the Department of Surveys (https:// www.masdap.mw/) which has collated some relevant datasets from national government and associated projects.

    • Consider outputs from other sectors such as 'National Forest Landscape Restoration Assessment' which defines degraded landscapes and restoration initiatives (i.e. agricultural technologies (e.g., conservation agriculture, farmer-managed natural regeneration and agroforestry); community forests and woodlots; forest management; soil and water conservation; and river- and stream-bank restoration)

    • Consider funding models such as the Blantyre Water Fund for engaging stakeholders within a wider catchment to create a business case for water resilience.

    • There is an emerging interest in climate change from the private sector, but the primary focal points relate to resource use through access to land, water and energy.

    • Consider mini-hydropower projects and the surrounding landuse management to increase energy efficiency and reduce siltation.