This report demonstrates how we are affected by ice and snow, whether we live in the northern regions or tropical climates or in between. Ice and snow are important components of the Earth’s climate system and are particularly vulnerable to global warming. Ice and snow are important parts of northerners’ identity and culture, especially for indigenous people, whose cultures have adapted to a world in which ice and snow are not only integral parts of the ecosystem but also support a sustainable way of life. Reduction of ice and snow damages the ecosystems that support these cultures and livelihoods

The underlying theme in the preceding chapters is that changes are now observed in ice and snow and bigger changes are projected. The greenhouse gases from past and current emissions remain in the Earth’s atmosphere for decades to centuries. Most of the extra heat on Earth caused by emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases is stored in the oceans. These two factors will lead to further changes in ice and snow no matter how quickly the world acts to reduce emissions.

By 2013, the population of Malawi was 16.19 million. In 2015, total electricity produced was 252 ktoe of which 98.4 per cent came from hydro sources (Table 2). In the same year, the final consumption of electricity was 148 ktoe (AFREC, 2015).