During the nineteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 19) to the UNFCCC in Warsaw on 16 November 2013, the CGIAR Research Program on Water Land and Ecosystems (WLE) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) organized a side event at the Global Landscape Forum titled ‘Re-thinking investments in sustainable landscapes and livelihoods.’

Professor Sosten Chiotha from the leadership for Environment and Development South Eastern Africa (LEAD-SEA) presented at the event, focusing on ‘Improving ecosystem services to enhance livelihoods and poverty alleviation through innovative financing for sustainable landscapes in Malawi.’ Informed by data from the PEI supported Malawi State of Environment and Outlook Report, the presentation emphasized how elusive investments are for smallholder farmers and how it can be made attractive for them. As the population in Malawi continues to grow, increasing pressure on natural resources and the environment has led to segmentation of land, making investments in smallholder plots difficult. This has resulted in inadequate agricultural production and thereby reduced access to food for vulnerable groups.

The PEI has supported the Government of Malawi to integrate sustainable natural resources management into national and sector policy, planning and budget processes since 2009. The Malawi State of Environment and Outlook Report published by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment in 2010, and supported by PEI, has been an important tool to raise awareness on the links between poverty and environment in Malawi and has in recent years catalyzed further change in Malawi and in other countries in Africa (Read more here). As part of this process, Malawi state television has broadcast a series of television programs highlighting the findings from the various chapters of the Report (watch the programs here) and following this several radio stations, including Matindi FM, Star FM and Chanco FM, has also highlighted the findings in radio programs.