Urban Greening ‘How To’ Toolkit for Malawi

Towns and cities across Malawi such as Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Zomba, and rapidly growing secondary centres, are increasingly facing environmental pressures driven by rapid urbanisation and climate change. Air quality is deteriorating due to a combination of vehicle emissions, open waste burning, dust from unpaved roads, and the widespread use of charcoal and firewood for cooking. Urban populations are expanding faster than the capacity of municipal authorities to plan and provide infrastructure, resulting in the growth of informal settlements on marginal land such as riverbanks, wetlands, and steep slopes that are highly vulnerable to flooding during increasingly intense rainfall events. At the same time, the replacement of vegetated land with concrete, asphalt, and metal roofing contributes to rising urban temperatures and reduced natural cooling, particularly in densely built neighbourhoods with limited shade. With municipal governments facing limited financial and technical capacity to address these challenges through conventional infrastructure alone, there is a growing need for cost-effective, locally appropriate solutions that can strengthen climate resilience while improving urban environmental conditions. Urban greening provides a practical and cost-effective response through locally appropriate nature-based solutions, including street and neighbourhood tree planting, vegetated drainage channels along roads and streams, restored urban wetlands, and well-designed green public spaces. These interventions help filter air pollutants from traffic and household fuel use, reduce flood risk by improving natural drainage and water absorption, and cool densely built-up areas, when strategically planned and adapted to Malawi’s climate.