1. Advancing Green economy through schools
and technology transfer in communities:
experiences from Malawi
Deepa Pullanikkatil1, Misheck Munthali2, Anandbabu Prakasam3
1 Leadership for Environment and Development Southern and
Eastern Africa
2 Domasi College of Education
3 United Nations Development Programme

2. Outline of presentation
• Aims and Objectives
• Methodology
• Findings
• Conclusions and Recommendations

3. Aim
• The aim of this study was to assess to what
extend principles of Green Economy have
been covered in Malawi school curriculum and
selected cases of technology transfer in
Malawi

4. Objectives
1. To assess how principles of Green Economy
have been included in school curriculum in
primary, secondary schools and teacher’s
training curriculum of Malawi
2. To assess how principles of Green Economy
have been included in technology transfer of
i. Solar fish drying
ii. Solar energy kiosk
iii. Energy efficient stoves

5. • The Nine Principles of Green economy was
developed by the green economy coalition
• It is a global network of organizations
committed to accelerating a transition to a
new green inclusive economy.

6. Nine Principles of a Green Economy
• A green, fair and inclusive economy provides a better
quality of life for all within the ecological limits of the
planet:
1. The Sustainable Principle. A green, fair and inclusive
economy is a means to deliver sustainability
2. The Justice Principle. A green, fair and inclusive
economy supports equity
3. The Dignity Principle. A green, fair and inclusive
economy creates genuine prosperity and wellbeing for
all
4. Healthy Planet Principle. A green, fair and inclusive
economy restores lost biodiversity, invests in natural
systems and rehabilitates those that are degraded

7. 5. The Inclusion Principle. A green, fair and inclusive
economy is inclusive and participatory in decision-making
6. The Good Governance and Accountability Principle. A
green, fair and inclusive economy is accountable
7. The Resilience Principle. A green, fair and inclusive
economy contributes to economic, social and
environmental resilience
8. The Efficiency and Sufficiency Principle. A green, fair
and inclusive economy delivers sustainable consumption
and production
9. The Generations Principle. A green, fair and inclusive
economy invests for the present and the future

8. Review of Primary School Curriculum
• Social and Environmental sciences Std 5,6,8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Talks about
sustainable
use of natural
resources,
environmental
conservation
and the three
pillars of SD
Civic rights,
children’s
rights,
human
rights and
responsibili
ties talks
about
rights of
people,
moral
values
Talks about
population
pressure and
need to use
natural
resource
sustainably.
Gender
equity in
society is
covered
Civic rights,
human rights
and
responsibilities
talks about
checking abuse
of power and
authority
Talks
about
pollution,
fire breaks
for forests,
Talks about
population and
future effects of
population change,
where environmental
damage and pressure
due to population is
covered. Responses
include using
resources
sustainably, planting
trees etc. This is in
line with thinking
about future
generations.

9. Review of Secondary school curriculum
“Agriculture and Environment-Form1,2,4”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Disadvantag
es of
inorganic
fertilizers ,
sustainabilit
y issues
“Agricultural
economics
and farm
business
managemen
t”, Gender
equity in
agriculture
is covered.
“Agricult
ural
economi
cs and
farm
business
manage
ment”,
food
security
issues
are
discusse
d.
Gender
is also
covered.
“Agriculture and
Environment”
topic, importance
of natural
resources,
depletion and
conservation is
covered.
Disadvantages of
inorganic
fertilizers are
covered. In Form
4, “Agriculture,
Research and
Technology”,
conducting
agricultural
research thereby
supporting
innovation.
“Agricultur
e Research
and
Technology
” talks
about
gender
biases in
agricultural
technology
and ways
of dealing
with them.
“Crop Production”
syllabus,
advantaged of
indigenous
vegetables is
included which
promotes sharing
of indigenous
knowledge. Form
4 syllabus talks
about climate
change mitigation
measures, ways of
controlling soil
degradation as
well as
reforestation,
agroforestry and
conservation
programmes.
“Agriculture
Research and
Technology”
topic, Irrigation is
covered where
types of systems,
importance of
systems and
factors affecting
efficiency of
irrigation
systems is
covered. This
already includes
drip irrigation
(including visit to
a site) under
Form 2 syllabus.
“Agriculture
and
Environment
” topic,
Effects of
rapid
population
growth is
covered.
Form 4
“Agriculture
and
Environment
” syllabus
talks about
conservation
programmes.

10. Case of Solar
Energy Kiosks

11. Rural Energy Kiosks (RurEnKi)
A Pilot Project for Sustainable Rural
Electrification in Malawi
June 2012- April 2013

12. The Energy Kiosks – Pilot
– 150 households in each community able to rent
out and charge:
• special, handy batteries (5, 7, 12, 38 and120 Ah)
• appliances: 2W/5W LED lights; 8W LED tube lights;
8‘‘/15‘‘ low-power TVs; low-power satellite decoder;
USB phone chargers; laptop charging kit
– Rental and re-charging station is powered with 10
solar PV panels (130W each)
– Station is located at a primary school and is
managed and staffed by the community

13. Portable
batteries
that charge
lights, cell
phones,
For one week, to light two bulbs and cell
phones in a household, minimum rent is
MK250
A resonable deposit has to be paid which is
refundable
Payment through airtel money – no cash
transactions for security resons

14. Principles of Green Economy in Solar
Energy Kiosk
1. The Sustainable Principle. Solar power is
sustainable.
2. The Justice Principle. The kiosk is available to
needy communities and women are encouraged to
use it.
3. The Dignity Principle. Some income generation
activities have been done through rental of
batteries for phone charging, improving lives.
4. Healthy Planet Principle. No loss in biodiversity
no depletion of natural resources while generating
solar power.

15. 5. The Inclusion Principle. Participatory approach as kiosk
is managed by communities themselves, many women
benefited.
6. The Good Governance and Accountability Principle.
Chiefs are involved, District personnel involved in
planning and monitoring.
7. The Resilience Principle. Improves economic, social
and environmental resilience- no need to use paraffin!
8. The Efficiency and Sufficiency Principle. Solar energy is
most efficient source of power and one battery can
power a household for many days.
9. The Generations Principle. This is an investment for
the present and the future. Children encouraged to do
innovation.

16. Children’s
invention
competition –
invent
electricity
solution for a
household

17. The winners

18. The Case of Solar Fish Drying
85 women benefited
in total in 6 solar fish
dryers built in Lake
Chilwa Basin

19. Solar fish drying
• The Lake Chilwa Basin Climate Change Adaptation
Program (LCBCCAP) with funding from the Royal
Norwegian Embassy working with the communities in
the lake Chilwa basin to address climate change by
building social and ecological resilience.
• In the efforts to produce more energy efficient
technologies, the LCBCCAP introduced solar fish driers
and energy efficient fish smoking kilns to help in
reducing fish post-harvest losses and also mitigating to
climate change related effects.
• Solar fish driers ensure that fish is sun-air dried –no
dust, no flies and complete drying!

20. Principles of Green Economy in case of
Solar Fish drying
1. The Sustainable Principle. This is sustainable as it looks
at environment, social and economic. Less contaminated
fish, more income, helping societies by targeting women.
2. The Justice Principle. The technology is available to
needy women, who are usually marginalised.
3. The Dignity Principle. Some income generation
activities have been done when women have been able
to save money and send their children to secondary
school from this activity.
4. Healthy Planet Principle. Less fish loss, no
contamination, less waste.

21. 5. The Inclusion Principle. Women included from the
areas – self formed, not forced, local knowledge used (eg.
Building of small brick walls at bottom of dryers as goats
were eating the plastic-the local women informed this)
6. The Good Governance and Accountability Principle.
Women groups self formed, saving money in their bank
account, democratically elected members holding office
positions such as chairlady, secretary etc.
7. The Resilience Principle. Improves economic, social
and environmental resilience- no more waste of fish,
faster drying (from 2 days to 1), assistance in marketing
and packaging.
8. The Efficiency and Sufficiency Principle. Less waste of
fish, faster drying.
9. The Generations Principle. This will help women to
educate their children for future.

22. Conclusion
• Malawi needs an economy that creates employment and increases
incomes of the poor without negative effects on the environment.
• However, we face many challenges:
– High population [about 14 million people]
– Heavy dependence on Forests and woodlands -provide 90% of
Malawi’s energy
– Frequent food shortages due to extreme climatic events - rural exodus
– Industrial sector remains in its infancy - increasing the mining &
manufacturing capacity is a key priority now
– Unreliable energy supply: frequent blackouts due to insufficient
generation capacity
– Energy demand is projected to double in the next five years as
compared to 2000
• How can we overcome this?

23. Good news: Already there is progress
• National Environmental Action Plan 1994 (NEAP, 1994)
– Recognizes climate change as one of the issue affecting environmental sustainability
– Aims to ensure sustainable development as envisioned by the Vision 2020 since 1998
• National Environmental Policy (NEP, 1996 revised 2004)
– Provides a framework for policies related to climate change
• The Environmental Management Act - to enforce the NEP
• Vision 2020
– Provides a framework for national development, policies and strategies
– Emphasizes sustainable development
• National Sustainable and Renewable Energy Programme (NSREP)
– Aims at promoting the use of RES
• Malawi Growth & Development Strategy 2006 -2011 (MGDS); MGDS II, 2011 -
2016
– Recognizes natural resources, environment and climate change as a key priority
• REDD strategy - under development
• National Climate change investment plan
• National Climate change policy development all promote green economy

24. • In many occasions Malawi has been undertaking
“Green Economy” measures, without actually calling it
by that name (solar panels in LLW airport)
• Let us continue integrating environment into
development policies, plans and budgets, as well as
into day-to-day management.
• Need for resource manual on “Green Economy” for
teachers
• Everyone should work together: The government
should coordinate the citizens, the private sector and
the civil society to put a combined effort in the
achievement of the green economy in Malawi and
make everybody play a vital role in environment
conservation and sustainable development.

25. Thank you
A paper has been published from this work in SAJEE.
Pullanikkatil,D., Mubako, S. and Munthali,M. (2015). ‘Advancing Green Economy through
Technology Transfer: Experiences from Malawi’. Southern African Journal of Environmental
Education. (in press)