Latest News from the Malawi Diaspora
Sia’s laid out the witnesses she plans to call at her upcoming spousal support and custody hearing … and she’s listed herself as chief among them. According to a new filing, Sia says she expects to take the stand at a hearing for approximately 2…
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“Wicked: For Good” has just lost its Glinda … ’cause Ariana Grande has revealed she’s tested positive for COVID just days before the big release! The singer’s clearly having some cabin-fever creativity as she recovers … she dropped a whole IG…
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Climate Action, Climate Change, Conferences, COP30, Global, Headlines, Latin America & the Caribbean, Ocean Health, TerraViva United Nations
Oceans contribute to climate regulation by absorbing over a quarter of human-caused CO₂ emissions and around 90 percent of excess heat but attract only 1.7 percent of everything that’s invested in science.
Moderators Masanori Kobayashi (far right) and Farhana Haque Rahman, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, Inter Press Service (far left), at a COP30 side event titled ‘Innovation and social collaboration for climate change adaptation in the pursuit of sustainable blue economies.’ Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS
– The oceans are a fundamental part of Earth’s climate system, regulating it by absorbing and storing vast amounts of solar heat, redistributing that heat around the globe through currents, and absorbing a significant portion of human-caused carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions—yet scientific research into them remains underfunded.
Oceans contribute to climate regulation by absorbing over a quarter of human-caused CO₂ emissions and around 90 percent of excess heat. But COP30 participants heard during a side event titled ‘Innovation and social collaboration for climate change adaptation in the pursuit of sustainable blue economies’ that the amount of money invested in ocean science is only about 1.7 percent of everything that’s invested in science.
During the side event, Meredith Morris, Senior Director of Strategic Philanthropy (Planet) at XPRIZE spoke of opportunities to tackle humanity’s toughest challenges with bold, scalable breakthroughs. XPRIZE, she said, does its part by inviting the world’s brightest minds to turn audacious ideas into lasting impact for people and the planet.
Owned by the XPRIZE Foundation, the nonprofit organization designs and operates large-scale incentive competitions.
It has supported numerous projects across various fields, including space exploration, carbon removal, global health, and education, by using large-scale incentive competitions to drive breakthrough innovations.
“I lead the portfolio around energy, climate, and nature. We are a 30-year-old incentivized prize model that sets a bar for the change we want to see in the world and incentivizes innovators to reach that bar or exceed it. We do not honor and celebrate work that’s already being done.
“At XPRIZE, what we’re trying to do is really catalyze systemic change.” Morris continues, “We believe in philanthropy, but we also believe it has to create value. And at the end of investing in doing something like protecting nature or addressing climate change, there should be viable businesses and industries on the other side of that.”
Moderated by Masanori Kobayashi, Senior Research Fellow of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Farhana Haque Rahman, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of Inter Press Service, the side event was an insight into life-transformative scientific projects that can only be born at the intersection between science and funding.
Haque Rahman spoke extensively of the urgent need to communicate science in a manner that helps connect with the places on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Masanori Kobayashi confirmed the need to amplify blue economy solutions, as raising awareness can and does lead to more action.
The XPRIZE Carbon Removal, a USD 100 million competition, incentivized the development of scalable solutions for removing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere or oceans. Winning projects included using enhanced rock weathering on farms to lock away CO₂ and technologies that permanently store CO₂ in concrete.
The Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE challenged teams to develop autonomous underwater technologies for rapid, high-resolution ocean floor mapping. The winning technology helped dramatically reduce the time estimated to map the entire ocean from centuries to just a decade.
Alexander Turra, Professor at the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo and head of the UNESCO Chair on Ocean Sustainability, based at the Oceanographic Institute and the Institute of Advanced Studies of the University of São Paulo, spoke about Brazil’s Oceans Without Plastics initiative.
Formally known as the National Strategy for a Plastic-Free Ocean, the initiative is a comprehensive, six-year plan (2025–2030) launched by the federal government to address marine pollution by targeting the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal.
The primary goal is to prevent, reduce, and ultimately eliminate plastic waste from entering Brazil’s marine and coastal environments. Brazil, with a vast Atlantic coastline, is a top-ten global contributor to marine plastic pollution, an issue that impacts biodiversity, human health, fishing, and tourism.
Also on the panel was Leonardo Valenzuela Perez, who serves as the Director of International Partnerships at Ocean Visions, where he leads the Global Ecosystem for Ocean Solutions. He spoke to participants about carbon removal at scale and the place of science in these efforts. What is needed is an unparalleled level of investment, mobilization of resources, and scale of action.
“We Colombians are the only country in South America with both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and we have various ecosystems as well as culturally diverse traditional peoples and communities,” said Laura Catalina Reyes Vargas, Founder and Executive Director of Ocean Hub.
“And, mostly, Afro-descendants and Indigenous communities on both coasts happen to be the poorest people in the country. It’s all about racism sometimes, economic inequality, infrastructure, poverty and lack of sanitation—it’s about almost all of the challenges that are being addressed throughout the 17 SDGs.”
“When it comes to the blue economy,” she continues, “We prioritize not only talking about scientific research. As a scientist myself, of course, I truly believe we will be able to address and understand the major steps needed to achieve not only the SDGs but also national plans with very high standards, as we have in Colombia.”
It was also crucial to address the regional organizational challenges.
COP30 has demonstrated a commitment to placing oceans at the center of global climate initiatives and announced the Task Force on Oceans earlier this week during a high-level ministerial meeting. Led by Brazil and France, the initiative integrates oceans into a global mechanism that accelerates the adoption of marine solutions in national climate plans —encouraging countries to set protection targets for the ocean when updating their NDCs.
IPS UN Bureau Report
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LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Arthur Peter Mutharika has joined global leaders in commemorating World Children’s Day, marking the occasion with a message of hope, commitment, and responsibility toward the nation’s youngest citizens.
He said that as Malawi celebrates the profound gift of its children, it proudly aligns itself with this year’s global theme, “My Day, My Rights.”
The President emphasised that every child in the country deserves recognition, protection, and opportunities, stating that their voices are heard, their dreams cherished, and their rights remain non-negotiable.
He reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to building an environment where every child is safe, educated, healthy, and empowered to reach their full potential.
President Mutharika stressed that the future of the nation rests on the shoulders of its young people, and therefore it is the collective duty of parents, leaders, and communities to shape a society that respects and upholds the inherent rights of children.
He further urged Malawians to work together to ensure that every day becomes a day that affirms the dignity, rights, and aspirations of children across the country.
The President concluded his message by wishing all children a joyful World Children’s Day, reminding them that they remain at the heart of national progress and development.
His statement was posted on his official Facebook page as part of the global celebration.
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BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-On November 7, 2025, Old Mutual Pension Services Company hosted its inaugural Pension Trustees Conference at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi.
The event brought together a diverse range of stakeholders from across Malawi’s pension industry.
Held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Pensions: Resilience, Sustainability, and Innovation,” the conference provided a platform for knowledge exchange and strategic dialogue on the evolving pension landscape.
The conference attracted key industry figures, including Emily Makuta, a respected legal practitioner and governance professional, Kaluso Chihana, Director of Pension and Insurance Supervision at the Reserve Bank of Malawi; Dr. Wisely Phiri, Founder and CEO of Sparc Systems Limited; Pempho Likongwe, Managing Partner at Likongwe and Company; Mphatso Kasalika, Managing Director of Old Mutual Investment Group; Busani Ngwenya, a seasoned insurance executive and John C. Maxwell Certified Coach.
Setting the tone was Emily Makuta who zeroed in on the importance of pension being the backbone of financial security.
According to Makuta Pension must withstand shocks and remain reliable.
She said, “There is a need for Pension administrators to diversify investments, strengthening governance and risk management strategies”.
In his presentation, “Landscaping for Future Reforms,” Kaluso Chihana emphasised the need for proactive regulatory alignment to strengthen fund performance and sustainability.
He traced the sector’s journey from the 2010 reforms focused on operationalisation and supervision to the current stage of enhancing functionality, voluntary schemes, and economic impact.
Chihana highlighted five reform pillars: efficiency, sustainability, coverage, security, and adequacy.
Drawing on National Statistical Office data, he noted that of Malawi’s 950,000 elderly citizens, only 60,000 are pensioners, and of 960,000 salaried employees, just 645,000 belong to pension schemes against an active population of 6.6 million.
“These figures,” he said, “reveal the gap and the amount of work that still needs to be done.”
He added that the new Pensions Law was designed to be more inclusive, acknowledging that Malawi lacks a broad-based social security system.
“Currently, only about 4% of Malawians are covered by the National Pension Scheme,” he said.
Offering a technological perspective, Dr. Wisely Phiri discussed trends and innovations in pension fund governance, stressing the role of technology and data-driven systems in improving administration and oversight.
He identified five global trends shaping modern governance: going beyond compliance, integrating ESG principles, member-centric models, professionalism, and digital innovation.
“True innovation,” he noted, “is not about systems or code; it’s about people and ensuring that every kwacha contributed in faith is managed with integrity and returned with fairness.”
From an investment standpoint, Mphatso Kasalika’s presentation on “Sustainable and Impactful Investing” underlined the need to align financial returns with positive environmental and social outcomes.
He showcased Old Mutual’s responsible investment strategy, integrating ESG factors into financial analysis to achieve sustainable long-term returns through investments in housing, roads, communication infrastructure, tourism, and agriculture.
Addressing risk and resilience, Busani Ngwenya shared lessons from Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation era, urging trustees to prepare funds for shocks and volatility through risk monitoring, diversified portfolios, liquidity reserves, sound governance, and effective member communication.
Echoing the same, Counsel Pempho Likongwe underscored the importance of succession planning and governance frameworks within pension structures.
The conference therefore highlighted that strong governance, innovation, sustainable investing, and collaboration are central to securing the future of pensions in Malawi.
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