Irrigation Expansion & Climate Resilience
Share this policy
Help spread the word about this important policy
Recognizing the impact of climate change on rain-fed agriculture, the Chakwera administration has prioritized irrigation development. For all the time the Malawi Congress Party was out of power (from 1994 to 2020) all the irrigation structures were rendered unusable due to lack of political will. Most of the infrastructure that was developed by late Ngwazi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda was vandalized and left to rot.
Problems to be solved
Reviving of irrigation schemes to awaken the agricultural value chains that were supported by each of these in transforming communities
Restoration of sustainable jobs for communities within the large-scale irrigation schemes
Creation of climate-smart techniques within agricultural activities to mitigate the effects of climate change on the sector
Opportunities to unlock
Expanded irrigated land by 2%, increasing productivity in both food and export crops.
Developed over 10,000 hectares of new irrigation schemes while rehabilitating 1,930 hectares of old schemes.
Ongoing construction of the Shire Valley Transformation Project, which is set to irrigate over 42,280 hectares in Chikwawa and Nsanje districts upon completion.