Mapping Malawi’s landscape restoration future

When Malawi committed to restoring an estimated 4.5 million hectares of degraded land – representing nearly one quarter of the country’s total land area and an area comparable to Denmark – it encountered significant challenges. Chief among them were determining where restoration was happening, effectively mapping restoration needs, and identifying where to direct limited resources for maximum impact.

Building the evidence base for smarter restoration planning

A nationwide stocktake – supported by the NBS Invest global platform, which is funded by the GEF’s Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and implemented by the World Bank Group – provided crucial answers, revealing the scale of the restoration opportunity and delivering unexpected insights.

“We knew restoration efforts were ongoing in many places in the country, but we did not have a map and database on the extent of these restoration efforts,” said Teddie Kamoto, Forest Deputy Director from Malawi’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change.

The analysis showed that certain districts had hosted multiple restoration projects funded by various donors, while others had none. “The analysis also showed that in most places the funding is there; it just needs to be used more effectively,” noted Tangu Tumeo, a Program Officer at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), seconded to the ministry.

Without stronger coordination, partners often worked in silos, which left critical gaps in tracking success, selecting the most degraded sites, and addressing social needs.

Restoration at the core of Malawi’s future

Landscape restoration is central to Malawi’s development ambitions. In 2016, Malawi pledged to restore 4.5 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030 as part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100). The country is also committed to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality by 2030, aiming to restore 1.6 million hectares of degraded land, increase tree cover, and enhance the productivity of existing farmland.

These efforts are intended to improve food security, create rural livelihoods, build climate resilience, and restore biodiversity. With land degradation affecting nearly 80 percent of Malawi’s total land area, the stakes are high – for both the environment and the approximately 85 percent of the population that depends on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Giving districts a voice in landscape restoration planning

This stocktake work began in two catchments in Malawi with support from the Alliance for Restoration of Forest Landscapes and Ecosystem Services in Africa, backed by Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment and six other partners.

With additional support from NBS Invest, the scope was expanded from two catchments to a national‑scale assessment. Using remote sensing, ground-level data collection, and drone mapping, the team identified the most degraded areas and determined which restoration approaches were best suited to different landscapes. This assessment marked Malawi’s first comprehensive, nationwide forest landscape restoration analysis and signaled a shift from isolated project-based interventions to integrated landscape planning led by local districts.

As a result, every district in Malawi now has its own restoration plan. The team also verified data in the field with the forest and land officers, and consulted more than 500 people, making sure to translate local knowledge into maps with detailed information.

“Each district has now its own report and we have maps and data on the restoration projects happening,” Teddie Kamoto said. “This can guide where land degradation is most severe, who is already implementing restoration activities there, what are success factors in the district, and what barriers need to be considered.”

These district-level maps and insights ensure that restoration efforts and nature-based solutions are locally driven and strategically targeted. Particular emphasis is placed on building the capacity of district councils to guide investment decisions.

"These reports will give them a voice; now the district can guide development partners and others investing in restoration to specific priority areas for restoration in the district," noted Tumeo.

By equipping districts with the necessary tools and technical information to influence restoration investments, Malawi is ensuring that nature-based solutions address local needs while contributing to national development objectives.

From fragmented projects to integrated landscape restoration planning

The findings from the mapping analysis are informing a broader update of the Malawi National Landscape Strategy. Geospatial analysis and drone-assisted mapping supported by NBS Invest are guiding this process, ensuring that future restoration efforts are based on current, evidence‑driven data on land use and restoration opportunities.

Tumeo, who participated in NBS Invest’s training program on implementing nature-based solutions in Kenya in March 2025, views Malawi’s approach as a potential model for other countries.

“I like how we used these funds from NBS Invest,” he says. “We are coming up with a plan for the whole country – removing silos, scaling up implementation, making sure restoration is science based and data can drive coordination on the ground.”

Malawi’s experience demonstrates how data-driven planning and coordination across national and local levels can unlock restoration potential while supporting community-led development. For a country with ambitious restoration targets, the lesson is clear: scaling up restoration is not always about finding new financing, but about using existing resources more strategically and building sustainable systems together with local people for long-term success.

About NBS Invest 
NBS Invest is a global platform that helps countries accelerate and scale nature‑based solutions (NBS) to advance resilient development, job creation, and biodiversity. Funded by the Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), NBS Invest is implemented by the World Bank Group Global Environment Department.