{"id":6615,"date":"2026-04-17T07:28:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T07:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/?p=6615"},"modified":"2026-04-17T07:28:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T07:28:35","slug":"from-observation-to-action-ecosystem-restoration-showcased-at-malawis-76th-wmo-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/?p=6615","title":{"rendered":"From Observation to Action: Ecosystem Restoration Showcased at Malawi\u2019s 76th WMO Celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dr. Patrick Likongwe (Deputy Director, LEAD) explains the Sadzi Hill ecosystem restoration case to Hon. Patricia Wiskes, Minister of Natural Resources, during the 76<\/em>th<\/sup><\/em> WMO celebrations in Lilongwe.<\/em><\/p>

From Observation to Action: Ecosystem Restoration Showcased at Malawi\u2019s 76th WMO Celebrations<\/strong><\/p>

The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) in Malawi convened stakeholders for the 76th<\/sup> World Meteorological Organization (WMO) celebrations under the theme \u201cObserving Today, Protecting Tomorrow\u201d<\/em> on 31 March 2026 at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe. The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from government, non-state institutions, and selected primary schools.<\/p>

Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) participated in the event, highlighting the critical role of ecosystem restoration in mitigating weather-related risks such as flooding. A key example presented was the restoration of Sadzi Hill, initiated under the Lake Chilwa Basin Climate Change Adaptation Programme (LCBCCAP). Tree and vegetation cover on the hill increased from 25% in 2013 to over 70% by May 2023. This transformation has significantly enhanced the resilience of surrounding communities, helping protect them from the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Freddy and the heavy rains experienced in mid-March 2026.<\/p>

In contrast, nearby Ndangopuma Hill in Zomba \u2013 still largely bare \u2013 recently experienced landslides that blocked roads, illustrating the risks associated with degraded landscapes. Similar incidents were common at Sadzi Hill prior to its restoration.<\/p>

During the event, LEAD\u2019s Deputy Director, Dr. Patrick Likongwe, engaged the Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Patricia Wiskes, on the Sadzi Hill restoration case. Additionally, Prof. S. Chiotha, Chairperson of the Malawi Meteorological Society (MAMESO), facilitated a panel discussion titled \u201cObserving Today, Protecting Tomorrow: From Observations to Early Action.\u201d<\/em><\/p>

In the lead-up to the celebrations, DCCMS conducted a week-long awareness campaign from 21\u201327 March, targeting the general public and schools. The initiative focused on increasing understanding of weather, climate, and extreme events such as floods and droughts. The 76th<\/sup> WMO anniversary served as an important platform to emphasize the value of weather observations and climate information in reducing disaster risks and safeguarding communities.<\/p>

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Prof. S. Chiotha, Chairperson of the Malawi Meteorological Society (MAMESO), facilitates a panel discussion on \u201cObserving Today, Protecting Tomorrow: From Observations to Early Action.\u201d<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Patrick Likongwe (Deputy Director, LEAD) explains the Sadzi Hill ecosystem restoration case to Hon. Patricia Wiskes, Minister of Natural Resources, during the 76th WMO celebrations in Lilongwe. From Observation to Action: Ecosystem Restoration Showcased at Malawi\u2019s 76th WMO Celebrations The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) in Malawi convened stakeholders for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6615"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6615\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6618,"href":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6615\/revisions\/6618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadsea.mw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}