The objective of the University of Malawi’s Natural Resource and Environment Centre (NAREC) is to provide an institutional infrastructure and capacity for research, training and consultancy in natural resources and the environment for poverty reduction at household and national levels.  Multidisciplinary approaches are also encouraged and all members of staff in the Faculty of Science’s six departments including Geography and Earth Sciences provide the required expertise for NARECs thematic groups in areas of environmental management, indigenous knowledge systems, biotechnology, ecology, food science/technology, renewable energy, climate change, traditional / plant medicine and geosciences.

At present there are over 5,000 students on degree, diploma and certificate programmes. The University of Malawi is a tertiary education and research institution with 50 Faculty of Science academic staff.  Facilities include: computers and relevant Software Laboratories, Offices. Chancellor College is located in Zomba in the Southern Region of Malawi. The College has about 262 members of academic and administrative staff and an enrolment of 1,812 students.  Current and recent relevant projects include:

1. Water and climate change in the Shire River Basin funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF).
2. National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) for Global Environmental Management.
3. Strengthening Capacity of VNRMCs and CBOs in Natural Resources Management in Southern Malawi.
4. Maintenance and Restoration of Ecological Integrity of the Middle Shire Basin for Sustainable Livelihoods