A new climate governance initiative in Mzimba is placing youth and marginalised communities at the forefront of environmental action, aiming to tackle climate injustice and poor natural resource management through inclusive governance.
The initiative, titled “Voices for Transparent Climate Governance in Mzimba,” is being implemented by the Mzimba Youth Organisation (MYO). It seeks to engage communities in participatory dialogues, raise awareness, and highlight the often-overlooked link between governance failures and environmental degradation.
Rev. Moses Nkhana, Executive Director of Mzimba Youth Organisation (MYO), said,
“We’ve seen several environmental projects fail because communities were never truly involved. This initiative will examine how poor governance fuels deforestation and illegal mining, and how empowering communities can help change that.”
Funded through a K4 million grant from the Pulitzer Centre for supported journalism, the project draws inspiration from prominent investigative journalists such as Fredrick Mugira, Sawasawa, and Paula Dupraz-Dobias, whose work has shed light on governance-related environmental injustices across Africa.
Malawi is currently losing between 30,000 and 40,000 hectares of forest each year one of the highest deforestation rates in Southern Africa. Experts warn that without structural changes in local governance and full community participation, such losses will continue.
Environmental advocate and Malawi 2063 Environmental Sustainability Champion Mathews Malata supports the initiative, saying it is time to stop treating communities as passive recipients of climate policies.
“Communities must be seen as equal stakeholders in climate action. We need governance models that empower those most affected by climate change people living in rural areas who depend directly on forests, rivers, and land for survival,” said Malata.
Through public forums, youth engagement platforms, and storytelling, the Mzimba project aims to bridge the gap between policy and people. Organisers believe this bottom-up approach can help drive more transparent and sustainable solutions to the country’s environmental challenges.
As Malawi continues its fight against climate change, Mzimba’s youth are proving that true resilience starts with inclusion, accountability, and local ownership.
Mzimba is one of the districts in Malawi where mining activities are taking place in various areas often without proper regulation or community consultation.
