Climate change poses one of the greatest threats to livelihoods, food security, and community well-being in Malawi, making climate resilience a key thematic area in Life Concern’s Strategic Plan (2026–2030). LICO works with vulnerable communities, particularly smallholder farmers, women, and youth, to strengthen their capacity to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from climate-related shocks, while promoting sustainable natural resource management.

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Malawi is highly vulnerable to climate variability and extreme weather events such as floods, prolonged droughts, dry spells, and cyclones, which have become more frequent and severe in recent years. These shocks disproportionately affect rural and low-income communities that depend on rain-fed agriculture, leading to crop failures, food insecurity, loss of income, environmental degradation, and increased poverty. Limited access to climate information, weak adaptive capacities, deforestation, and unsustainable land-use practices further exacerbate community vulnerability, undermining livelihoods and long-term development gains.

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To address these challenges, LICO implements community-based climate resilience and adaptation interventions that strengthen household and community capacity to cope with climate risks. The organisation promotes climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices such as conservation farming, soil and water conservation, diversified and drought-tolerant crops, and sustainable livestock management to improve productivity while reducing environmental impact.

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LICO also supports natural resource management and ecosystem restoration, including tree planting, agroforestry, catchment protection, and community-led reforestation initiatives that help restore degraded landscapes, enhance biodiversity, and reduce the effects of flooding and soil erosion. These interventions contribute to improved environmental sustainability and increased resilience of livelihoods.

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Recognising the importance of preparedness, LICO strengthens community disaster risk reduction (DRR) and early warning systems to improve readiness and response to climate-related hazards. This includes community training on disaster preparedness, climate risk awareness, and the development of local response mechanisms that reduce loss of life, assets, and livelihoods during emergencies.

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In addition, LICO promotes climate-resilient livelihoods and green economic opportunities, particularly for women and youth, by supporting income diversification, environmentally friendly enterprises, and access to skills and knowledge that reduce dependence on climate-sensitive activities.

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Through partnerships with communities, government structures, and other stakeholders, LICO contributes to resilient, adaptive, and environmentally sustainable communities that are better equipped to withstand climate shocks and build a secure future in the face of climate change.