Lilongwe's Ecological Corridor

Creation of new green areas, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Improved governance of green or blue areas

The Lilongwe river corridor has been subjected to several threats throughout the years. These threats include: the urban sprawl that developed due to the growing urban rate of the city and the erection of informal settlements in the riverine buffer zones; invasive alien species such as Water Hyacinth and Salvinia Molesta; pollution caused by discharges and untreated sewage contributing to the loss of aquatic biodiversity; sand mining; urban agriculture that increases the use of cultivation techniques with effects on the soil's erosion; and climate change which increases flooding and prolonged droughts. The intervention was prepared and developed to address these threats and has the following goals: 1. To provide awareness-raising of the ecological area by ensuring responsible human development along the river of Lilongwe. These goals involve the local community to encourage a restoration of the riparian zone through the dissemination of information, cleaning activities, and control of invasive species. 2. To help strengthen the skills and resources of the local communities by identifying funding opportunities and local stakeholders. 3. To provide opportunities for eco-tourism. 4. To provide a protected habitat for local flora and fauna (a riverine ecosystem with key sites of biological importance) and provide communities with recreational areas (2) 5. To provide better local protection against flooding, improved air and water quality, lowered temperatures (including UHI effects), stable water flow, and less unsightly and hazardous waste for all of Lilongwe’s citizens. (3)

It is paramount to mention that Lilongwe's Ecological corridor strategy has been developed as part of ICLEI's UNA Rivers project, which dates back to 2016. At that date ICLEI developed a close partnership with the Lilongwe City Council, as well as community members, through intensive public participation processes. This led to the Lilongwe Urban River Revitalisation Plan and an update of the City of Lilongwe’s Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. In 2017 a series of actions took place: awareness and capacity building around waste management, followed by training in composting for women, as well as the development of wildlife sightings and biodiversity maps, habitat distribution maps, land-use change maps and information to showcase the spatial extent that the Lilongwe River and its catchment, an urban natural asset priority map, risk assessments relating to climate change impacts for the Lilongwe catchment, a water quality overview for sections of the Lilongwe River, and planning recommendations based on priority natural assets. To this, in 2017, ICLEI also invested in mobilising local authorities through capacity building. In 2018 the UNA Rivers project focused on capacity building and dissemination of environmental awareness by converting a mobile app into posters for schoolchildren. The posters present a step-by-step guide on how to implement nature-based solutions. River clean-up activities and waste management activities were also conducted. In 2019 a greening campaign began. In 2020 ICLEI supported the local authorities in developing the plan for an ecological strategy of the Lilongwe natural corridor, its river. It was critical to undertake an extensive and inclusive stakeholder engagement process in order to gather all relevant information and inputs from key stakeholders for inclusion in the plan. (1,2)

• Local government/Municipality
• Citizens or community groups
• Marginalized groups: Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
• Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)