N’goma made the remarks on Wednesday in Machinga, where CISONECC gathered various stakeholders from the environmental conservation sector to solicit ideas for inclusion in the updated version of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

He pointed out that despite the existence of policies and laws aimed at curbing environmental degradation, the country continues to lose its forests, highlighting a failure in responsibility from both local communities and national duty-bearers.

“We have policies and laws in place for environmental protection and management, but just look at what has happened to Chikala Hills or Lake Chirwa, for instance. It’s a total disaster. We’re now focused on bridging the gaps to salvage what remains of our environment,” N’goma said.

He emphasized that the gathering not only provided an opportunity for stakeholders to contribute their ideas for the revised NDC but also served as an awareness drive on climate change issues and how the NDCs can be successfully achieved.

“We’ve invited all relevant parties to this meeting to discuss and propose solutions that will be included in the new NDC. This is a government strategy that requires support from all sectors, from local communities to high-ranking officials at Capitol Hill,” N’goma added.

Hannah Siyame, the Environmental Officer responsible for climate change in the Environmental Affairs Department, explained that collaboration with civil society organizations would help the government assess the shortcomings of the previous NDC and guide improvements for the new document.

“As a department, we are currently in the process of stocktaking and gathering ideas and solutions for the revision of the NDC, which will soon be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,” said Siyame.

The first NDC was formulated in 2015, with an updated version released in 2021.