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Environmental Affairs Department

About Us

The Environmental Affairs Department (EAD) is a department of the Ministry of Natural Resources. It supervises and coordinates all matters on the environment, natural resources and climate change management in Malawi.

Our mandate

To promote, coordinate, monitor and oversee compliance with environment, natural resources and climate change management programmes, policies and legislation, to ensure sustainable development and poverty reduction.

We provide environmental stewardship in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and Malawi 2063, and we are Malawi’s national focal point for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Vision & mission

Vision
A nation with sustainable management of the environment and natural resources.
Mission
To provide excellent services in cross-sectoral coordination, monitoring, overseeing compliance and facilitating integration of environmental concerns into sectoral policies, plans and programmes, to ensure sustainable development.
A river winding through wetland at sunset A community meeting in the shade of a tree

Core functions

How the department works

  • Policy & planning

    Developing, reviewing and harmonising policies, guidelines, strategies and programmes for the environment, natural resources and climate change.

  • Coordination

    Bringing ministries, district councils, civil society, the private sector and partners together, and integrating environmental concerns into their plans.

  • International engagement

    Negotiating and reporting for Malawi under the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement and other multilateral environmental agreements.

Milestones

Key moments in our work

  1. 1996

    Done

    Environment Management Act

    Malawi’s first framework law for managing the environment.

  2. 2004

    Done

    National Environmental Policy

    Published by the department in June 2004.

  3. 2006

    Done

    National Adaptation Programmes of Action

    Malawi’s first set of urgent adaptation priorities, submitted to the UNFCCC.

  4. 2016

    Done

    National Climate Change Management Policy

    Approved to promote adaptation, mitigation, technology transfer and capacity building.

  5. 2017

    Done

    Environment Management Act No. 19 of 2017

    A new law that also set up the Malawi Environment Protection Authority (MEPA).

  6. 2020

    Done

    National Adaptation Plan Framework

    The framework for Malawi’s national adaptation planning.

  7. 2025

    Done

    Carbon Market Framework

    Rules for carbon trading, with the department as the single entry point.

  8. 2026

    Done

    NDC 3.0

    Malawi’s third Nationally Determined Contribution, prepared by the department and submitted to the UNFCCC in June 2026.

Our Leadership

The department is led by the Director of Environmental Affairs, with a deputy director at the head of each division.

  • Tawonga Mbale-Luka

    Director of Environmental Affairs

  • Benon B. Yassin

    Deputy Director for Environmental Planning, Monitoring and Research

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