Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) III - Building a Productive, Competitive and Resilient Nation.

Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) III - Building a Productive, Competitive and Resilient Nation is a multi-sectoral national strategy of Malawi for the period of 2017-2022. Its main objective is to move Malawi to a productive, competitive and resilient nation through sustainable economic growth, energy, industrial and infrastructure development while addressing water, climate change and environmental management and population challenges.
The Strategy covers the area of food and nutrition security. For this, it provides for fostering adequate market supply of diverse and nutritious foods; promoting technologies that reduce post-harvest losses in storage, preservation and food processing; promoting private sector investments in production, processing and marketing of high quality nutritious foods; including complementary food; promoting bio-fortification and fortification of major staple food; promoting food and nutrition education for all; and promoting education and research into use, propagation and conservation of indigenous Malawian food.
In the area of environment and natural resources, the document aims for integrating environmental management in development activities; promoting public participation in environmental management programs; promoting integrated afforestation for wood fuel, fruit production windbreak and shade, timber and poles at household and community level to address wood fuel shortage and curb encroachment into reserves; ensuring that public works programmes comply with principles of environmental sustainability; promoting environmental education, awareness and information sharing among stakeholders; enhancing community based natural resource management; conserving and sustainably use of water sources such as lakes, rivers and wetlands; enhancing conservation and sustainable utilization of biological diversity; and promoting research, planning, monitoring and evaluation of Environment Natural Resources Management (ENRM) programs; enforcing Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and other related environmental laws; enhancing trans-boundary initiatives in environmental and natural resources programmes; strengthening compliance on pollution control and waste management; and strengthening nuclear safety and security to ensure protection of the people and the environment.
Further, the Strategy aims to achieve sustainable agricultural transformation and water development that is adaptive to climate change and enhances ecosystem services. To this end, it envisions promoting and strengthening agricultural extension and rural advisory services; supporting inclusive agricultural innovation systems for research, technology generation, and dissemination; developing areas with irrigation potential; conducting and promoting research and use of appropriate technologies in irrigation; enhancing technical and institutional capacities in irrigated agriculture; promoting diversified crop and livestock production and utilisation; promoting and encouraging sustainable fisheries management and commercial aquaculture development; promoting regional and global exports of value-added agricultural commodities; facilitating the creation of new structured markets, especially in oilseeds, sugarcane, livestock, animal feed and fisheries products; strengthening and harmonizing agricultural market information systems; ensuring transparency in trade policies and regulations; promoting agricultural value addition and agro-processing; coordinating and strengthening agricultural marketing; promoting climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land and water management; promoting integrated soil fertility management; promoting sustainable irrigation in crop production; promoting integrated conservation and utilization of Malawi’s rich agro-biodiversity; promoting integrated pest and disease management; promoting establishment of cooperatives; promoting access to, ownership and control of productive resources; promoting agricultural education and technical training for women, youth, and vulnerable groups; and promoting access to finance for women, youth and vulnerable groups in agriculture.
For disaster risk management, the Strategy provides for improved understanding of disaster risks; increased resilience of communities to disasters through investing in disaster risk reduction; strengthened disaster risk management governance at all levels; enhanced disaster preparedness for effective response, and to build back better in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction; and improved social support to vulnerable population. In the area of climate change, the Strategy’s targets include promoting effective and efficient generation, analysis and utilization of reliable, responsive, high quality, up to date and timely climate services; improving access to domestic bilateral and multilateral climate financing and private sector investments; and promoting research, technology development and transfer in climate change and meteorology.
The implementation MGDS III will involve all stakeholders, including the three arms of Government: the Executive, Parliament, and Judiciary; and civil society and Faith Based Organizations (FBOs); private sector and the general public. Government will lead the implementation process through technical coordination and its consolidated national budget. It is expected that all stakeholder institutions including donors, development and co-operating partners will continue to align their activities and support to MGDS III.