
Development of Localized PICSA Products for Target Districts under the Climate Just Communities (CJC) Program
From 23rd to 27th June 2025, the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS), with support from DAI, held a workshop at Mulunguzi Lodge in Zomba to develop localised PICSA products for the Climate Just Communities (CJC) programme. The workshop, attended by officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension Services (DAES), focused on producing EPA-level climate information for seven target districts.
The workshop was officially opened by DCCMS Director, Dr. Lucy Mtilatila, who encouraged staff to maintain stakeholder confidence through continued professionalism. Using historical climate data, DCCMS developed PICSA booklets containing rainfall onset and cessation, season length, dry spell analysis, and crop suitability tables.
These products will support Extension Workers and District Meteorological Officers in training farmers to make climate-informed farming decisions. The PICSA approach, in use in Malawi for over five years, remains key in bridging scientific weather information and community-level action.