The Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC) has called on Malawi government to approve a draft national meteorological policy in the country.
According to CISONECC, the delay in approving the policy is exacerbating the challenges and constraints that the meteorological sector is facing such as weak sector coordination in collection and use of data.
While acknowledging the role that the 2016 National Climate Change Management Policy play on weather and climate data and information in all economic sectors, CISONECC has argued that it provides limited guidance for growth and development of the weather and climate services sector in Malawi.
Therefore, they have called for a National Meteorological Policy that will serve for the growth and development of weather and climate services in the country.
In a statement signed by CISONECC national Coordinator Julius Ng’oma, the CSOs argue that the draft policy will ensure strong sector linkages and coordination as regards to the collection and use of weather data and information.
“The adoption of the policy will also assist Government to fulfil one of its commitments in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II (MGDS II) which recognises the importance of improving weather and climate monitoring, prediction systems, and information and knowledge management systems as one of the key strategies of climate management. Further, lack of particular provision in the MGDS II for meteorological services and products justifies the need to speed up the meteorological policy process,” reads part of the statement made available to Malawi24.
The statement adds that the Meteorological Policy will help Malawi to conform to requirements of international protocols and frameworks on weather and climate change as guided by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and International Civil Aviation Agency (ICAO).
CISONECC is an umbrella platform for coordinating civil society voice and response to impacts of climate change in Malawi.
