President Mutharika off to Spain for UN climate change conference

Malawian President Peter Mutharika on Friday left  for Madrid in Spain to attend the United Nations climate change conference.

Addressing the media before departure at the Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, President  Mutharika said he would speak on the adverse effects of climate change such as global warming on least developed countries like Malawi.

“There are several challenges that have resulted from climate change such as dwindling water levels in the Shire River and Lake Malawi and floods among others which have adversely affected the country,” he said.

Malawi has also experienced changing rainfall patterns and dry spells which specialists have attributed to climate change.

This year’s talks will focus on putting the 2015 Paris agreement into practice with the aim of cutting on greenhouse gass emissions which are a major culprit of climate change and will also be a preparatory  meeting for the 2020 climate  conference which will take place in the UK where it is expected that long term responses to  climate change emergency will be decided.

The conference was originally scheduled to take place in Santiago in Chile, but was shifted to Spain due to violent protests taking place against the Chilean government.

The Vice President, Everton Chimulirenji, the First Lady, Gertrude Mutharika and several cabinet ministers saw the president off.

Several heads of state and government are expected to attend the conference.

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