Malawi

Information Sources

Location

South Africa, East of Zambia, landlocked

http://www.odci.gov/cia/publication/mw.html

National websites

Canadian Consulate in
Malawi

Malawi Overview

 http://www.malawibiz.com/cc/index.html

http://www.woyaa.com/Tree/Regional/Countries/Malawi/tm

http://www.finance.gov.za/fm/idf/fiscu/summits/windhoek/malawi.htm

Embassy / Chancery in U.S.

 2408 Massachusetts Ave. NW

Washington DC, 20008

Agencies responsible for biological inventory and conservation

Office of the President and Cabinet Private Bag 301 Lilongwe 3 Attn: Department of Forestry

Major Natural Resources

Agriculture is by far Malawi's largest industry. Almost three fourths of agriculture is based on tobacco production. Also, the fishing industry employs about a quarter of a million people. Malawi relies on its fertile soil and extensive waters almost totally. Forests are plentiful in Malawi, as well, however the demand for fuel threatens them. Mining is almost non-existent in Malawi.

Major Environmental and Conservation Issues

Malawi's largest environmental concern, one that encompasses all their other concerns, is increased development. Increased farming and industry threatens their rivers and other waters with run off, as well as the forests as agriculture and industry encroaches into previously untouched land. Sewage runoff is a major problem for the densely populated country. Also, overfishing has created a sever problem to the species of Lake Malawi, and the people who rely on the fish population.

http://web.mit.edu/africantech/www/articles/Lake_Malawi.html

Statistics

Land area

94,080 Sq. km

 CIA World Factbook

Area of forest

Area of wetlands

Area of territorial waters

24,000 Sq. km

 CIA World Factbook

Population

 Approximately 11.2 million

 http://www.finance.gov.za/fm/idf/fiscu/summits/windhoek/malawi.htm

Population Density

119.048/Sq. km

Area protected (ha) (only areas 1000ha) at all IUCN levels

Approximately 749,000 ha of forest reserves and protected hill slopes.
 

  http://www.finance.gov.za/fm/idf/fiscu/summits/windhoek/malawi.htm

Fraction of land area protected (%)

Major Protected Areas

http://www.clubmak.com/lake.htm

 http://www.finance.gov.za/fm/idf/fiscu/summits/windhoek/malawi.htm

Species

Mammals

Endemic: 0

Http://www.wri.org/sdis/ctr_std/cs-pdf/malawi.pdf

And http://data.wri.org:1996/ for endemic species

Birds

Endemic: 0

Reptiles

Endemic: 6

Amphibians

Endemic: 3

Fish

 N/A

Invertebrates

 N/A

Plants

Endemic: 49

Endangered and Threatened Species

Mammals

 6

 Http://www.wri.org/sdis/ctr_std/cs-pdf/malawi.pdf

Birds

 9

Reptiles

 0

Amphibians

 0

Fish

 N/A

Invertebrates

 N/A

Plants

 61

Go to the World Conservation Monitoring Center's Redlist http://www.wcmc.org.uk/species/animals/animal_redlist.html and search for the appropriate country, species, etc.

Extinct Species

None

 World Conservation Monitoring Center

Species listed on CITES Appendix I

Go to http://www.wcmc.org.uk/CITES/english/fauna.htm then search for all species, and choose Malawi and the appropriate list.

For plant information, go to http://www.wcmc.org.uk/species/plants/geographic_table.htm

According to them, there is 1 endangered plant species in Malawi

Species listed on CITES Appendix II

Fauna: 125

Legislation

Laws protecting endangered or threatened species

 National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP).

 http://iucn.org/themes/law/index.html

Laws protecting endangered ecosystems

Signatory to CITES

Not Ratified, but signed 2/5/82

 http://www.wcmc.org.uk/CITES/english/parties.htm

Signatory to Ramsar Wetlands Convention

1/29/96, hectares designated: 224,800

 http://www.iucn.org/themes/ramsar/key_cp_e.htm

Signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity 

2/2/94

 http://www.biodiv.org/conv/ratify.html 

Signatory to Migratory Bird Treaty

No

Member of International Whaling Commission

No

 Http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/iwcoffice

Signatory to other international treaties designed to protect or manage biological resources

 Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

 CIA World Factbook

Non-government Organizations (NGOs), or chapters of international organizations concerned with the preservation of natural resources

Natural Resource Use

Fisheries

 Freshwater fish take: 65,000,000 metric tons

http://www.wri.org

Forestry

Value of exports: $0

 WRI

Ecotourism

 Malawi's tourism industry is small, but growing due to Lake Malawi and other wildlife. The exact amount: unknown

Trade in wildlife products

 The chichlids of Lake Malawi are incredibly brilliant in color and shape, and are completely endemic to the lake. They are very popular as aquarium fish, as this website documents.

 http://freespace.virgin.net/m.pickering/Document5.htm

Hunting

Other uses of natural resources

Human Impacts on Natural Resources

Air pollution

Water pollution

Siltration of spawning grounds endangers fish population; agricultural runoff; sewage; industrial wastes

 http://www.selu.com

Development activities

 Deforestation; land degradation

 http://www.selu.com

Introduced species

 12 aquatic species have been introduced, though no none environmental effects are recorded due to the introductions

 Http://www.fao.org/scripts/acqintro/query/retrive.idc

Legislation addressing these issues

In addition, Malawi is conducting a Climate Change Country study, focusing on greenhouse gases and mitigation of greenhouse factors.

 Http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/malawi/natur.htm#atmo

Restoration and Reintroduction

Programs for restoration of damaged habitat 

 Reforestation program

 Http://www.finance.gov.za/fm/idf/fiscu/summits/windhoek/malawi.htm

Programs for ex situ conservation (captive breeding and reintroduction) of endangered species