A recent UN report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has warned that unprecedented changes are being experienced in every region of the world and only reduction in carbon emissions can limit their potentially devastating effects.

The report said global temperatures are likely to rise to at least 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2030, with extreme weather events such as heat waves, floods and droughts becoming more intense.

Commenting on the report, one of the country’s environmental activists, Mathews Malata, said although Malawi is not among the highest emitters of Carbon, but there is need for the country to start investing more in implementing adaptation programs in more robust ways.

Malata said: “There are more programs that we need to implement such as intensifying forest cover, irrigation, water harvesting, and embark on renewable energy among others.”

He further expressed the need to develop early warning systems in preparation for any impending disaster.

Furthermore, he suggested that Malawi should prioritise chances of its chairmanships of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) to push for the reduction carbon emission.

The IPCC report, which has strongly blamed human activities for climate change, has been approved by 195 member governments of the IPCC after two weeks of remote talks.

IPCC was created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the objective to provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies.