LocationsHigh‑Level Dialogue Calls for Urgent Action to Centre Environmental Justice in Climate Response for Malawi and the Global South
February 25, 2026
A session in progress at the High-Level Dialogue on Mainstreaming Environmental Justice in the Climate Change Response, hosted at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.
Across Malawi, families wake up to rivers that have burst their banks, fields that have turned to dust, or winds strong enough to pull apart homes built by hand. Children walk longer distances to school because bridges have washed away; women rebuild their shelters as they shoulder unpaid care work; young innovators sketch climate solutions without access to funding.
This is the composite rhythm of life in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, a reality that framed the High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change, Human Rights and Environmental Justice, convened at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC, United States of America.
Bringing together ambassadors, UNDP leaders, human rights institutions, youth representatives, and experts from Africa and Europe, the event was co‑hosted by UNDP, ACCORD, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, and the Governments of Malawi, Iceland, and Norway. The message was clear: climate justice must start with the people who live the crisis every day.
Justice Esme Chombo, Ambassador of the Republic of Malawi to the United States delivers her keynote address virtually.
“Climate change is a present crisis”
Delivering the keynote address, H.E. Justice Esme Chombo, Ambassador of the Republic of Malawi to the United States, grounded the discussion in lived realities across the Global South:
“For millions of people across the Global South… climate change is no longer a future risk. It is a present crisis which is reshaping livelihoods, eroding rights, and testing the resilience of already stretched institutions.”
She emphasised that climate impacts compound pre-existing vulnerabilities: “Its impacts are deeply unequal, falling most heavily on those who have contributed the least to its causes.”
Ambassador Chombo highlighted how climate shocks in Malawi undermine rights to food, water, housing, education, and even life with women and girls disproportionately affected: “Climate stress exacerbates gender inequality… Girls face heightened risks including early marriage and exploitation during periods of crisis.”
She also underscored how communities are responding with resilience: “What they lack is not resolve but support, access, and a voice.”
She thanked the Governments of Norway and Iceland for supporting Malawi’s human rights institutions through UNDP’s Human Rights Project for Vulnerable Populations: “Through this initiative… vulnerable groups [are] better protected and able to access their rights.”
Dr Rowland Cole, Chief Technical Advisor at UNDP Malawi and moderator of the dialogue, stated that climate change is not only an environmental crisis but also a human rights and justice issue, particularly for vulnerable groups in Malawi and across Africa.
"Yet today, the planetary systems that sustain life, and which humans are a vital part of, are under very, very intense, and rapidly worsening strain,” he noted.
He emphasised the importance of unpacking issues related to climate and justice, moving beyond the typical humanitarian response and exploring how to mainstream them from an environmental justice perspective.
From left to right: Malawi’s Representative to the United Nations, Dr. Agnes Chimbiri-Molande, Malawi Human Rights Commission Executive Secretary, Habiba Osman, and Dr. Rowland Cole, UNDP Malawi Chief Technical Advisor.
This is a human crisis
Sarah Rattray, UNDP Co‑Director for Governance, Rule of Law and Peacebuilding, reminded participants that climate change must be seen through a rights-based lens: “The realities of climate change… have a real human impact on communities, and populations.”
She emphasised the nexus between climate impacts, justice systems, and governance: “We need localised evidence and empowered communities… and we need accountability, which remains, in some cases, a buzzword, but which we are hoping to make a reality.”
Rattray underscored the need for climate governance that elevates the voices of those most affected.
Climate disasters as human rights violations
From the Malawi Human Rights Commission, Executive Secretary Habiba Osman warned that climate disasters in Malawi, such as Cyclone Freddy, have become: “the greatest multiplier of human rights violations…. Rights to life, dignity, food, water, and health have all been affected.”
She called for stronger legal frameworks, early-warning systems, and strategic climate litigation to establish precedent for holding accountable those responsible for environmental harm and displacement. She emphasised that without enforcement, rights remain theoretical.
Women and girls: The invisible frontline
Dr. Agnes Chimbiri‑Molande, Malawi’s Representative to the United Nations, highlighted gendered climate impacts: “Climate change is really not gender neutral… women often face disproportionate economic loss and increased food insecurity.”
She stressed how disasters disrupt girls’ education: “Girls’ education is always the first to be sacrificed.”
Yet she also emphasised women’s indispensable role in resilience: “Women possess invaluable local knowledge and leadership capacity…. When we involve them, they help us do the right thing.”
Business accountability and environmental governance
Representing UNDP’s global team, Victoria de Mello, Policy Specialist for Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights, drew attention to gaps in corporate due diligence: “Environmental harm is sometimes treated as a technical regulatory issue, rather than a human rights issue.”
She identified structural, practical, and climate-related barriers to compliance, particularly in extractive industries, from limited field presence of regulators to inaccessible grievance mechanisms.
De Mello noted that Malawi’s forthcoming National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights offers a crucial opportunity to bridge environmental governance with human rights obligations.
Youth: “We are not at the table”
Speaking on behalf of Malawi’s Youth Network on Climate Change, Dominic Nyasulu highlighted the exclusion young people face: “There are no clear strategies or policies that stipulate youth engagement in climate action… yet young people are the majority.”
Despite driving grassroots climate innovations, youth leaders struggle with coordination gaps, limited access to resources, and lack of institutional support.
Climate finance: A system difficult to penetrate
From the Ministry of Natural Resources, Director of Environmental Affairs Tawonga Mbale‑Luka outlined the barriers Malawi faces in accessing multilateral climate finance: “Malawi is highly vulnerable… yet we are having to go into debt to meet our adaptation needs.”
She explained how complex accreditation processes, high debt burdens, and mitigation-heavy funding structures limit Malawi’s ability to respond to recurrent climate shocks.
Her call to action was clear: simplify global finance architecture and increase grant-based support for LDCs.
From left to right: World Bank legal counsel, Chifundo Chinyama, Dr. Cedric de Coning of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and Johns Hopkins University's Professor Chiedo Nwakor.
Natural resources, conflict, and the need for resilience
Dr. Cedric de Coning of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs warned of the risks of climate-driven fragility: “Climate-related stress… leads to knock-on effects on social cohesion… that can become sources of tension and conflict.”
Drawing from Norway’s own resource governance model, he argued that strong institutions, strategic taxation, local capacity building, and community‑level resilience are essential to prevent resource extraction from fueling instability.
Access to justice and institutional reform
World Bank Legal Counsel, Chifundo Chinyama, spoke on the institutional bottlenecks that limit environmental justice: “The institutional framework for environmental justice is fragmented… and the lack of coordination has led to laxity in enforcement.”
He advocated for operationalising Malawi’s long-awaited Environmental Tribunal, an accessible, low-cost mechanism for communities seeking remedy.
A shared responsibility — and a shared hope
In closing, Sarah Rattray reflected: “Environmental justice must be accessible in practice, not only in rhetoric… Institutions must deliver tangible, people-centred outcomes.”
The dialogue made one truth unmistakable: the people living through climate change are not passive victims. They are farmers adopting climate-smart practices, women leading adaptation efforts, youth innovators building local solutions, and communities preserving social cohesion amid crises.
What they need is not sympathy but equity, access, and global solidarity.
As Ambassador Chombo affirmed: “Climate justice is not an act of charity. It is a matter of equity, responsibility, and shared humanity.”