The conference rooms of Paris are far from the plains of Malawi where the Mulanje Massif stands alone above sprawling tea plantations.
This year the region of Malawi near the mountain saw flooding rains, the heaviest in 30 years; but then rainy season failed and so did the mist that helps take the edge off the dry season. It is in ecosystems like that where the meaning of climate change is most evident and the need for adaptation most acute.
The problem is that despite all the talk about climate financing, very little of it is available to organizations like the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust, an endowment fund for conservation projects working to help people adapt to extreme climate and protect the ecosystems fragile forests, said Carl Bruessow, the executive director of the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
