Water Stewardship Malawi responds to demand from major water users, government and citizens in Malawi for improved water security and resource governance.

Delivering improved water security and climate resilience for 20,000 vulnerable people, the programme fills global gaps in guidance and support for water stewardship practice and will establish Malawi as a centre of excellence and learning on water stewardship.

We work with agribusinesses, small-holders, communities, hospitals and schools to implement water stewardship strategies guided by the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard and document learnings. Lessons influence national policy and regional guidance.

Two farming cooperatives in Southern Malawi stand out as exceptional examples of good water stewardship, Phata Sugarcane Outgrowers Cooperative and Sukambizi Association Trust. The innovation projects with Phata and SAT will extend our evidence base of what support, guidance and incentives enable small-scale farmers to benefit from the AWS Standard, and test how Fairtrade and AWS Standards could work more closely to strengthen the resilience of small-scale producers and surrounding communities facing climate impacts.