Malawi?s economy is largely dependent on agriculture which accounts for 80 percent of the total workforce, one-third of the GDP and 80 percent of export earnings (Douillet 2012). The Agriculture sector heavily relies on Land and water as critical resources, and its poor usage, degradation and poor management negatively affect the livelihoods of the communities. Poor and unacceptable agricultural practices lead to massive soil erosion, soil degradation and erosion.
Climate change adds another unique challenge as a threat to food security, sustainable development and poverty eradication (World Bank 2010).Analysis of the above issues, put community members at center stage as most victimized with effects, as alluded by GEF SGP (1992) that global environmental problems can best be addressed if local people are involved and direct community benefits and ownerships are generated. The goal is to tackle global environmental challenges in Biodiversity, Climate change, sustainable land and water management, while addressing local community (Malawi) sustainable development needs.
The community landscape conservation through sustainable environmental management, increase awareness and adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture in line with GEF SGP goal, reaching to 5000 community members, and the project for two years, in Salima district, one of the lakeshore landscape targets by GEF SGP. OSSEDI as an implementing organization has vast experience drawn from similar and related projects, and

It expected that the targeted communities will plant and care for trees to increase areas under forest cover. The adoption of good upland agricultural practices will reduce erosion and siltation currently affecting rivers and Lake Malawi. The adoption of CSA technologies, legumes production and agro-forestry will be promoted to increase soil water retention, fertility and productivity as well. Communities will be motivated to use of energy saving stoves to conserve forests and woodlots. The project results will be documented for dissemination, replication and scaling up within the country in line with GEF SGP objective.
The project will train and empower 5000 community members in Salima district, one of the lakeshore landscape targets by GEF SGP, to sustainably manage land and water resources through adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture, improved farming methods and biodiversity technologies. Planting of trees will increase land area under cover, thereby reducing erosion and siltation. The adoption of CSA and water harvesting technologies will be promoted by this project to increase soil water retention, fertility and productive as well. Use of energy saving stoves to conserve forests and woodlots, let along provide alternative income source from selling the stoves. Forest based enterprises through honey production and marketing will not assist to conserve forests and woodlots but provide nutritional value to the communities and income as well. Legumes production will be promoted as soil cover crops, improve soil fertility, nutritional value and income sources to women and child headed households as they are regarded as women crops. The project will also promote good upland agricultural practices through river bank protection, GAP, use of manure, etc to reduce river mouth siltation, and also provide an alternative income sources to reduce over fishing. The project results will be documented for dissemination, replication and scaling up within the country in line with GEF SGP objective.