Malawi’s Vice President Dr. Michael Usi on Wednesday co-chaired a high-level roundtable discussion on climate resilience during the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) in Awaza, Turkmenistan.
The session, titled Enhancing Adaptive Capacity, Strengthening Resilience, and Addressing Vulnerability to Climate Change and Disasters in Landlocked Developing Countries, was co-chaired with Bhutans Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dina Nath Dhungyel.
Opening the discussion, Vice President Usi said Malawi is actively investing in climate-smart agriculture and integrating disaster risk management into national policies, but added that access to climate financing remains a significant barrier for landlocked countries.
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We wish to appeal to development partners and international financial institutions to simplify access mechanisms to ensure predictable and direct financing and invest in strengthening institutional capacity for landlocked countries, said Usi.
He emphasized the need for full operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, a mechanism meant to assist vulnerable countries in coping with irreversible climate-related losses. Usi noted that complex procedures are preventing many countries from benefiting from it.
Echoing his remarks, co-chairperson Dhungyel stressed the importance of streamlining access to the fund for it to be effective.
The impact of the fund can make much sense if its accessibility is also as simple, said Dhungyel.
Burundis Permanent Representative to the UN, Zephryn Naratanga, also spoke during the session. He noted that rural economies in landlocked countries are highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture and fragile ecosystems, making them vulnerable to climate shocks such as droughts, floods, landslides, and soil erosion.
Burundi welcomes the operationalisation of the loss and damage funds. We highlight the need to facilitate access, especially for countries with lower institutional capacity. It is crucial that we simplify procedures, strengthen technical assistance and support the development of adapted, bankable projects, he said.
Several other speakers shared similar sentiments, calling for a fairer, more accessible climate finance system and greater international collaboration to support sustainable development in landlocked countries.
The LLDC3 conference serves as a key platform for governments and development partners to explore practical solutions to the unique challenges these nations face, including those exacerbated by climate change.
