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Economic Aspects | Natural Resource Aspects | Institutional Aspects | Social Aspects |Malawi

SOCIAL ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN MALAWI

• Poverty
• Demographics
• Health
• Education
• Human Settlements

POVERTY

Decision-making structures for poverty alleviation and environmental improvements include the highest political commitments at both ministerial and local government levels. Ministries, departments, NGOs and the private sector are all part of the process to eradicate poverty in Malawi.

Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations 

No information available.

Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans  

The key component of the national strategy is the promotion of medium and small enterprises (MSEs) and informal sector enterprises.  There is a comprehensive policy on medium and small enterprises developed by the Ministry of Commerce, which includes:  strategies on development of infrastructure; entrepreneurship and skills development; technology support; credit and technical advisory services; market skills development; and credit and resources. All measures are to be linked with appropriate institutional development programmes to support medium and small enterprises and informal sector enterprises.

The overall strategy of the government is to increase both economic growth and investments in priority areas, such as agriculture, industries and rural infrastructure in particular, education, health, human resources, especially for women and youth development, as well as free primary education for girls, large scale training and credit provisions for employing women and unemployed youth. Government and NGOs are collaborating to combat poverty.

Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement  

Major groups receiving assistance in this sector are local communities and the unemployed, marginal farmers, the rural and urban poor, unemployed youth and other vulnerable groups.

Programmes and Projects

Among the main programmes at work are:

• A Poverty Alleviation Fund, established in the Office of the President and Cabinet to provide the poor with access to some financial resources to address unemployment and save the environment in the final analysis;
• The Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF), a World Bank supported project, which aims at providing financial support to local communities for projects that address social and economic strategies for reduction of poverty and unemployment; and
• Various programmes of different ministries, departments and NGOs which help to increase employment opportunities for income generation.

Poverty in Malawi is exceptionally high and is part of the nexus of high population growth and environmental degradation leading to low levels of living standards in the country. Poverty afflicts millions of people in Malawi, especially women and rural dwellers. Large-scale unemployment in the formal sector of the economy exists.

Challenges

No information is available.

Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising

Capacities of the government organizations, NGOs and the local communities have to be developed and enhanced. Public awareness through formal and non-formal means will be useful in this respect. Programmes on capacity-building for nutrition workers, extension workers, women and youth are in place.

Information

No information is available.

Research and Technologies

No information is available.

Financing

The Government finances poverty alleviation programmes through its development budget, and a little bit from revenue. The NGOs, the private sector and other interested groups have their own resources for addressing poverty alleviation in the country.

Cooperation

Malawi participates in all regional and international fora dealing with poverty alleviation with the hope that from this participation, programmes and infrastructure can be developed to provide job opportunities and other economic benefits to the country and its neighbours.

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This information is based on Malawi's submission to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last update: April 1997

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DEMOGRAPHICS

No information is available.

Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations 

No information is available.

Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans  

Population growth and fertility levels are too high in the Government's view, and interventions are used to lower the rates to be compatible with the attainment of social and economic goals.

Malawi adopted an explicit and comprehensive National Population Policy in March 1994 which is an integrated part of the country's social and economic development plan.

Development of Policy and Plan of Action for Women under the NPP. A coordinated action plan for the implementation of the policy was formulated and finalised in 1996.

Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement  

No information is available.

Programmes and Projects

An appropriate infrastructure for the implementation of the population programme is in place and consists of:  the Population and Human Resources Development Unit (PHRDU); the Demographic Training Unit in the University of Malawi;  the National Family Welfare Council of Malawi and a number of line ministries, department agencies; and NGOs. However, these efforts have suffered from limited institutional capacity at various levels.

Status

No information is available.

Challenges

No information is available.

Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising

The country is mounting a mass awareness campaign on population, development and poverty amongst parliamentarians and Cabinet Ministers, Principal Secretaries, chief executives and communities: - Parliamentarians and Cabinet Ministers (November 1995) - Principal Secretaries and chief executives (May 1996) - Traditional Leaders (October 1996).

Information

No information is available.

Research and Technologies

No information is available.

Financing

There is an increased provision of family planning services through an increased budget for population activities in the 1996/97 financial year.

Cooperation

No information is available.

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This information is based on Malawi's submission to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last update:  April 1997

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HEALTH

Institutions involved in the sector include the Ministry of Health and Population, Christian Hospital Association of Malawi Units, NGOs, and community support groups.

Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations 

No information is available.

Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans  

Aiming to raise the level of health of all Malawians through the prevention and control of common illnesses is a national priority and includes the following:

• A National Health Policy which emphasises among other approaches the strengthening of preventive and promotive Maternal and Child Health Services, and the management of common illnesses through the strengthening of special disease control programmes was in place in 1995;
• A Safe Motherhood Initiative (SMI),launched in October 1996, to reduce the high maternal mortality rate in the country by providing circumstances under which child-bearing women have a choice as to when they want to become pregnant, and when they do become pregnant, have access to trained antenatal and essential obstetric care;
• An "African 2000" Water and Sanitation Initiative launched in October 1996 to provide safe water and sound sanitation practices to unserved communities in Malawi; and
• Decentralisation of services to strengthen the quality and quantity of health care at the peripheral level through the Primary Health Care (PHC) approach .

Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement  

No information is available.

Programmes and Projects 

No information is available.

Status

No information is available.

Challenges

No information is available.

Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising

There is off-shore training of programme managers and other staff, workshops and seminars, and in-country training courses for specialists.

Information

No information is available.

Research and Technologies

No information is available.

Financing

Finance is provided by the Ministry of Health and Population.
See "Cooperation" for details.

Cooperation

Other financial providers include: UNFPA, WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, European Union, ODA, FFW, JICA, GTZ, USAID, International Association for Community Health, regional health organisations and other NGOs.

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This information is based on Malawi's submission to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last update:  April 1997

Click here to go to the Health and health-related statistical information from the World Health Organization.

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EDUCATION

Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies   

No information is available.

Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations 

No information is available.

The Malawi Institute of Education organised a national workshop to sensitise key personnel in environmental education on the importance of sound environmental management and to assist policy makers. This initiative led to the development of the National Environmental Education and Communication Strategy, with the main objective of creating environmental awareness in both the formal and non-formal sectors of the country.  Through the National Environmental Education and Communication Strategy, it is expected that training at various levels will be done and enhanced.

Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement  

No information is available.

Programmes and Projects

No information is available. 

Status 

No information is available.

Challenges

No information is available.

Various line ministries, departments, NGOs, CBOs, parastatals, the private sector, and the University of Malawi have joined together to create awareness on environmental degradation in the country and to find ways and means to address the problems related to sustainability.  The Malawi Institute of Education was mandated to develop curricula for the primary school level and for training of teachers at the primary education level. Consequently, environmental education in the formal education system was focused at these two levels. The institute is also mandated to develop the secondary education curriculum and to coordinate environmental education activities in the formal education sector.

Information

No information is available.

Research and Technologies 

No information is available. 

Financing

No information is available.

Cooperation

No information is available.

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This information is based on Malawi's submission to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last update:  April 1997

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HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

Malawi created the Ministry of Housing which is in charge of policy and coordination of housing issues. The Ministry of Lands and Valuation is in charge of land policy and land allocation and the Ministry of Physical Planning and Surveys is in charge of enforcing planning standards. On the other hand, local authorities are in charge of the provision of human settlements and related issues.

Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations 

No information is available.

Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans  

In May 1996, Malawi compiled the "Urban and Housing Indicators for Malawi Cities". In the same year, the country developed the National Plan of Action for the Period 1996-2000. The programmes in this plan bear directly on poverty alleviation as they seek to give security of land tenure to the poor, to promote income generating activities, to broaden access to affordable housing finances and to support the delivery of integrated infrastructure services.

The Ministry of Housing is formulating a National Housing Policy. The Government wants to move away from being a provider of shelter and related services, but continue to provide an enabling environment. The Government is currently encouraging home ownership.

Strategies include:

Urban Land Market:

• Creation of dynamic, efficient and equitable urban land markets.
• Improving access to land by low income households and vulnerable groups.

• Improving competition in the conventional housing finance market.
• Improving access to housing finance for low and medium income groups.

• Creating a viable financial base for the local authorities.
• Improving cost recovery for new infrastructure.
• Encouraging participation in infrastructure provision by private development.

• Building the capacity of small contractors.
• Expanding the supply and use of alternative local building materials.

• Improving the quality of rural housing,
• Improving the performance of the rural housing programme.

• Ensuring the sustainability of housing programmes,
• Promoting leadership capacities within communities.

Major Groups involved include: The Ministries of Housing; Lands and Valuation; Physical Planning; Research and Environmental Affairs; building sections (work and supply); the Malawi Housing Corporation; Habitat for Humanity; Christian Services Committee; New Building Society; Maone Parks; Malawi Development Corporation; individuals; and donor community.

Programmes and Projects

No information is available.

Status

No information is available.

Challenges

There is still lack of competition on the mortgage market. Hence, access to housing finance by low and medium income groups is almost non-existent. Finance for infrastructure is almost unavailable.

Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising

No information is available.

Information

No information is available.

Research and Technologies

No information is available.

Financing

No information is available.

Cooperation

Malawi is a member of Shelter-Afrique and the African Housing Fund. Malawi also benefits from the World Bank and other UN bodies like UNDP, UNCDF, UNICEF. There is bilateral cooperation with countries such as Japan, USA, UK, Germany among others.

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This information is based on Malawi's submission to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last update:  April 1997

Click here to access "Best Practices for Human Settlements: Low Cost Housing in Malawi".
Click here to access "Best Practices for Human Settlements: Piped Supplies for Small Communities in Malawi"."
For information related to human settlements and refugees, you may access the UNHCR Country Index by clicking here:

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