what is holding back malawi?

Question 1

it’s landlocked.

Answer 1

this means malawi has no port, and goods cannot be exported and imported that way. to reach the coast, malawi has to go along a very slow railway in mozambique. the line is narrow, limiting speed and weight on the train. nearly all malawis exports go this way, and it’s a slow, expensive process.

Question 2

rural isolation

Answer 2

80 percent of malawi’s population is rural.
much of rural malawi is isolated with poor infrastructure (e.g dirt roads, which take several hours to travel to local markets)
when there is rain, farmers may be cut off due to flooding of the dirt roads

Question 3

living with a challenging climate

Answer 3

report that africa would be one of the most affected areas due to climate change, due to water shortages as temperatures rise. this causes range of other issues (e.g food shortages) as a result.
crop yields have fallen as malawis rainy season has been shorter. however, when rain arrives, it’s intense (in 2012, heavy rains reduced malawis harvest by 7%)

Question 4

increased pollution

Answer 4

economic growth has been rapid in malawi since 2010, but has led to rapid urban growth
squatters settlements have grown rapidly, no sanitation or waste management.
rivers and dams contaminated, causing risk to human health
increase in air pollution. air quality reduced by dust, smoke, car exhaust fumes.
traffic congestion has caused carbon monoxide pollution