[{"bbox": [157, 151, 1073, 205], "category": "Text", "text": "and transparency. The action will be aligned to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), in particular in facilitating investments in new and alternative renewable energy sources."}, {"bbox": [157, 216, 1074, 403], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action will support the strategic planning process to increase energy access through improved infrastructure and increased renewable energy (RE) generation. Preparation of investment projects may be linked to blended finance in subsequent annual programmes, while new generation capacities will be supported through transparent processes that facilitate private sector investments. The emerging market for off-grid productive use will be supported through a Market Systems Development approach embracing digital financial solutions and an inclusive job market. Research and development (R&D) capacity within Malawi will also be supported."}, {"bbox": [157, 414, 1074, 708], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action is a central component of the Team Europe Initiative (TEI) “Green Growth for Malawi”, which is under development. Overall this TEI would aim at equitable green economic growth in Malawi, focussing in particular on preservation and regeneration of the natural resource base, on the development of territorially relevant food systems and on improving the nutritional status, targeting especially girls and young women. The TEI, to achieve these objectives, would develop pillars of action of natural resource management and ecosystems preservation, value chain development, access to finance, technical and vocational training, renewable energy for productive use, homegrown school meals and nutrition interventions. This action contributes to the TEI’s pillars of action of value chain development and environmental protection and in particular achieving its result regarding clean energy supply for the agro-sector. Cooperation of Germany, Ireland, Flanders (Belgium) and the European Investment bank will also be contributing to the different components of the TEI."}, {"bbox": [161, 747, 391, 779], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2. RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [147, 809, 280, 837], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 2.1. Context"}, {"bbox": [157, 852, 308, 877], "category": "Section-header", "text": "#### Country context"}, {"bbox": [157, 884, 1074, 1204], "category": "Text", "text": "Malawi ranks 174th out of 189 countries in the 2020 Human Development Index². It is one of the most densely populated countries on the continent with a high rural population and relatively low urbanisation. It has a population of 19.6 million³ of which 16% live in urban areas and 83% in rural areas⁴. Over 50% of the population is younger than 18 years old and the median age is 16 for both women and men⁵. With the population expected to double by 2038⁶, the population growth rate is one of the highest in the region⁷. This is placing enormous pressure to sustain livelihoods and to deliver jobs and quality social services. In addition, Malawi continues to face many challenges in gender equality and empowerment of women. Deforestation is a major impediment to development in Malawi as is the increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like dry spells, droughts, intense rainfall, tropical storms/cyclones and floods. This affects the habitat of an ever-growing population, deprived of basic services, which generates a mutually reinforcing cycle of poverty and humanitarian disaster."}, {"bbox": [157, 1215, 1074, 1349], "category": "Text", "text": "Despite making significant economic and structural reforms to sustain economic growth, the economy remains sluggish, is heavily dependent on agriculture employing nearly 80% of the population, and is vulnerable to external shocks, particularly climatic shocks, which in the last four years have increased in frequency and magnitude. A World Bank assessment⁸ found that Malawi's economy has been heavily affected by the COVID19 pandemic and that global and domestic factors"}, {"bbox": [147, 1420, 694, 1446], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/Country-Profiles/MWI.pdf"}, {"bbox": [147, 1445, 645, 1469], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ United Nations World Population Prospects database 2021"}, {"bbox": [147, 1469, 398, 1491], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ World Bank Databank, 2021"}, {"bbox": [147, 1493, 566, 1517], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ UN World Population Prospects (2019 Revision)"}, {"bbox": [147, 1517, 634, 1541], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/overview"}, {"bbox": [147, 1541, 696, 1565], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/malawi-population"}, {"bbox": [147, 1565, 1081, 1612], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ Malawi Economic Monitor, Doing more with less: Improving service delivery in energy and water, World Bank, December 2020"}, {"bbox": [976, 1662, 1081, 1687], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 25"}]