‘Invest in less-climate-sensitive water, energy resources’
A physical planning expert has urged Blantyre City authorities, government and other stakeholders to invest in less-climate-sensitive alternative water and energy resources for the city to survive effects of climate change.
Dereck Mamiwa, a physical planning lecturer at the University of Malawi’s The Polytechnic, made the call in his presentation on Tuesday at the African Climate Risks Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last week.
The presentation, titled Climate Change Narratives for Blantyre City, was made under the Future Resilience for African Cities and Lands project which is also being conducted in six other cities in southern Africa by the Future Climate for Africa Programme.
Mamiwa said the narratives were co-developed to inform a climate sensitive decision in the city and were drafted based on climate change predictions for Blantyre City by 2040.
“In 2040, Shire River, which is the main source of energy and water for the city, remains vulnerable to impacts of climate change and variability. Position of the city is threatened due to heavy water and electricity rationing affecting all social and economic sectors,” he said.
Speaking earlier during the conference’s opening, Ethiopia Commissioner of the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change FekaduBeyene noted the vulnerability of Africa to climate change.
