The Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, recently visited Malawi, where months on, the devastation of Cyclone Freddy lingers.
One of the strongest storms ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, the cyclone battered large swaths of southern Africa for five weeks in February and March. Even land-locked Malawi was not spared. Across much of the country, floods and mudslides damaged houses, roads, schools, health facilities, bridges, water sources, crops and irrigation systems.
Around the world, storms are becoming stronger and more frequent, which scientists attribute to climate change. In many places, including Malawi, the fallout from heavy rains is made worse by deforestation, which strips soil of cover, resulting in destructive landslides.
During her visit, Andersen said the world must step up its efforts to help developing nations, like Malawi, contend with a changing climate.
“It is unacceptable that those countries that have done the very least to impact on climate change are suffering the very most,” she said.
UNEP works with local governments, other UN agencies and humanitarian partners to find nature-based solutions to combat flooding and landslides.
