Experience and Capabilities
WESM’s projects focus on working with communities bordering environmentally-important areas (for example, national parks, wildlife reserves and forest reserves) to promote environmental/biodiversity protection and to promote environmental awareness and involvement, as well as environmental education in schools.
WESM draws experience for project implementation from long-standing relationships with associates across the country, together with volunteers and a handful of key employees. In that way WESM puts together competent teams to deliver major projects.
For example, one of WESM’s current projects is a 3-year grant of £312,000 from the UK Government to work with communities and the local government for a ‘Community Approach to Waterbird Resource Management’ at the Chia Lagoon, near Nkhotakota.
Examples of previous projects are listed below.
Examples of projects implemented by WESM
| Name of Project | Project Description | Life | WESM budget (USD) | Donor/Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promotion of right to quality education and environmental management for sustainable development | Promoting rights based quality education in primary schools and environmental education | 10 years | $400,000 | DANIDA through DOC |
| Fisheries Integration of Society and Habitats (FISH) | Sustainable economic growth in threatened freshwater ecosystems & increased social, ecological & economic resilience through: Biodiversity Conservation Climate Change Adaptation | 5 years | $570,000 | USAID through PACT |
| Biodiversity conservation through community mobilisation and building sustainable livelihoods for selected IBAs in Malawi | Biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods for rural communities around the three IBAs (Dzalanyama Forest Reserve, Kasungu National Park and Ntchisi Forest Reserve). | 7 years | $750,000 | Norad through NOF (BirdLife Norway) |
| Advocating for Awareness on Forest Degradation and Policies and Procedures in Conducting Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in and around Ntchisi Mountain and Dedza Mountain Forest Reserves | To develop Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines for Protected Areas in Malawi | 3 years | $150,000 | Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) |
| The Project for Conservation and Sustainable Management of Dzalanyama Forest Reserve (COSMA-DFR) | To establish community based patrol systems and stakeholder coordination | 3 years | $70,000 | JICA and Lilongwe Water Board |
| Effective Management of Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve | To improve sustainable management of natural resources in Nkhotakota Wildife Reserve by the staff of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) | 3 years | $845,000 | GEF through World Bank |