Malawi

Natural resources and healthy ecosystems sustain us, and the best stewards of these resources and ecosystems are the local communities that rely on them. That’s the approach Pact takes in its work in Malawi to protect one of the country’s most precious resources – Lake Malawi. The recently closed REFRESH project worked to conserve the freshwater biodiversity of Lake Malawi by restoring natural fisheries productivity and ensuring that aquatic habitats are healthy and well-managed, that endemic fish populations are self-sustaining, and that Lake Malawi fisheries are managed sustainably by 2024.

REFRESH built on communities' successes under Pact's FISH project, which built social, ecological, and economic resilience to climate change and significantly improved biodiversity conservation through sustainable fisheries co-management. The project's Pact-led consortium enabled communities and local government to protect four of Malawi’s main lakes, which contribute significantly to the health of the country and its people. 

Pact also worked to improve maternal, newborn, and child health in Malawi, strengthening the capacity of local agencies and organizations to provide critical health services.