Malawi and specifically the Northern Region remains a mostly agricultural and very rural country. Hence, many households rely on agricultural activities, either as smallholder farmers or employees on bigger farms. Furthermore, the Malawian population growth of three per cent per annum is very high, which is why the demand for food and other resources like water or energy increases drastically. As 'Agriculture' is a subject within the Malawian curriculum this article focuses on its role and content. The research focuses on the teaching methods and content of the subject. A main focus was put on the way the concept of sustainability is being taught and the areas of sustainability that are being covered. A qualitative methodological approach, combining document analysis, ethnographical research and fourteen semi-structured interviews with teachers at public secondary schools in the Northern Region provided an in-depth insight into how the concept of sustainability is being grasped and taught. The importance and chances of teaching 'Agriculture' as a subject became visible, while at the same time many general and subject-specific obstacles remain and partly diminish the positive effects of the subject. Teachers are aware of the concept of sustainability, without necessarily being familiar with the terminology 'sustainability' .

The total economic value of wetland ecosystem services can be separated into use value and non-use value. The non-use value assessment on a large time scale is insignificant for the wetland management policies. This paper uses an economic model to analyze the non-use value trends based on the former willingness to pay survey of the non-use value in the Sanjiang Plain. The assessment results show that under the combined effect of the discount rate and the change of relative price, the curve of the non-use value displays a gradually rising at first and then declining trend. The non-use value curve reaches a maximum after 42 years when the non-use value is $55.01 and the remaining wetland areas is 56.35 % of the situation in 2007. The elasticity of marginal utility of consumption and the elasticity of substitution substantially affect the assessment results. As they become larger, the combined effect of the discount rate and the change of relative price becomes larger too. This will result in a relative lower result of the non-use value assessment and minor supports for today measures of the wetland ecosystem conversation. Speeding up the recovery rate of wetland ecosystem is in favor of bringing down the costs of wetlands conservation, and if the wetland ecosystem in the Sanjiang Plain enter into a healthy state, people will not have to worry about whether or not others or future generations have the opportunity to use it in the future.

This study examines how discriminatory land use planning predisposes the low income residents to flood disaster risks in Karonga town, Malawi. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten government and non government institutions engaged in land use planning and disaster risk management and traditional leaders. The study showed that theoretical aims of land use planning to improve the living environment remain partial and in certain cases exacerbate risks posed by floods because the planning tool divides the urban landscape into formal and informal spaces. Such separation which coincided with incomes levels forced the marginalised and urban poor to occupy flood-prone areas While literature on flood control promotes an integrated approach to flood risk management, land use planning practice is singled out as a regulatory measure which ironically not only fails to meet the needs, but also increases vulnerability to flood risks, of the urban poor residents. The study further revealed that land use planning has failed to reduce flood disaster risks in informal spaces because it is not compatible with the needs of the urban poor.