In the picture: The BIOFIN team led by Mr. Hilton Msamali and the Verdurous consultants led by Dr. Srinivasan Sunderasan, together with Prof Sosten Chiotha from LEAD SEA, after the consultations at the LEAD SEA office. 

Yesterday on 6^th March 2026, LEAD SEA welcomed the UNDP Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) team together with consultants from Verdurous, India for a consultation visit. The objective of their assignment is to develop a comprehensive Biodiversity Offset Strategy for Malawi. This strategy will support the implementation of the amended Environmental Management Act, facilitate adoption of the Guidelines for Environmental Assessment, and contribute directly to achieving the goals of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).

As one of the NGO stakeholders highly recommended for consultation, LEAD SEA shared insights from ongoing work, including the Sadzi case study, which the visiting team found particularly impressive. They also appreciated the welcoming and inspiring office landscape, which set the tone for productive discussions.

The consultation highlighted the importance of adhering to the mitigation hierarchy, ensuring offsets are applied only as a last resort after all efforts to avoid and minimize ecosystem disruption. Discussions also underscored the urgent need to address Malawi’s declining forests, wetlands, and water bodies – ecosystem losses that have reduced the country’s service value by nearly 6% between 2001 and 2022.

The visit reaffirmed the critical role of NGOs in shaping biodiversity finance and conservation strategies. By integrating scientific evidence, traditional knowledge, and community perspectives, Malawi can build a robust biodiversity offset framework that balances development needs with conservation priorities, ensuring ecosystems continue to support livelihoods and national growth.