Malawi's state of emergency remains in place over a drought which has devastated much of southern Africa in recent months as local farmers are making cost-benefit trade-off to plant more drought-tolerant crops against the climate change.
With Malawi facing a major food crisis, a focus has been placed on preparing the agricultural industry to adapt to what's becoming the new normal here - a greater frequency and intensity of droughts.
The farmers are now cultivating cassava, sweet potatoes and ground nuts. According to them, the decision is now paying dividends.
"Cassava is profitable because it is food for my family and we also sell it. We sell it in October, November, December and January. In these months money is scarce and when I sell the cassava I get my capital to buy fertilizer for the maize farming," said Alimanto Masten Phiri, a cassava farmer.
Cassava is known for its relatively high tolerance for drought conditions which makes it a perfect crop not just for Malawi but other countries in Southern Africa, which have also been impacted by droughts.
People are also encouraged to use any space that is viable to grow crops such as cassava, sweet potato and millet, as these crops have deep roots that can access water stored deep in the soil.
The government of Malawi is still encouraging farmers to adapt to the change in weather patterns in order to maintain food security for the country.
"We are seeing from the Department of Climate Change that some areas are still receiving some good rainfall, I think those areas should consider planting other crops like cassava and sweet potatoes, considering these are crops that do not need a lot of rainfall," said Eliana Kaonga, an agribusiness trainer.
For now, these cassava and sweet potato farmers are reaping the rewards of their decision to switch strategy.
It's seen as an example of why farmers are being encouraged to innovate to overcome climate challenges.
Farmers in Malawi plant more drought-tolerant crops to resist climate change
China's first two-tonne-class tethered balloon entered trial operation in a major power transmission project on Monday, providing a brand-new solution for transportation in power grid construction projects in high-altitude and ecologically sensitive areas, according to the State Grid.
The project is a massive ultra-high voltage (UHV) power transmission line that will carry clean energy from Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China across thousands of kilometers to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in south China.
At the construction site, a large balloon with a diameter of 25 meters and a volume of 8,000 cubic meters slowly rose into the air.
As multiple mooring lines were simultaneously extended and retracted, the heavy construction materials suspended beneath the balloon were lifted off the ground and moved smoothly along a predetermined route toward the mountainous work site.
"This is our newly developed load-bearing tethered balloon. We have just completed a maximum load test of two tonnes at an altitude of 4,000 meters. Next, we will conduct a hoisting operation for power supply materials over a straight-line distance of 500 meters and a vertical drop of 120 meters," said Qin Jian, researcher at the Transmission and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Institute of the State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute.
A heavy-lift tethered balloon involves launching a helium-filled balloon into the air and connecting it to the ground with one or several cables.
By adjusting the cable, the balloon's altitude and horizontal position are controlled to facilitate the transport of materials at high altitudes.
The balloon can travel up to 800 meters and carry a maximum load of two tonnes, with a positional accuracy of within 0.5 meters.
As the construction of new power grids is extending more rapidly into high-altitude, remote mountainous and ecologically sensitive areas, the transportation of materials for transmission projects has become a major challenge constraining construction progress.
Traditional road construction for transportation have long cycles and significant ecological disruption, while drones, though agile and flexible, face limitations in scenarios requiring heavy loads or prolonged continuous transport.
Tethered balloon transport technology effectively overcomes these difficulties.
"The construction section where this technology is applied is located in an uninhabited mountainous area at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. Many tower sites are situated on steep ridges inaccessible by road, making this the section with the highest altitude, most treacherous terrain and most challenging operations in the entire project. The two-tonne tethered balloon is better suited to high-altitude conditions characterized by thin air and strong winds, and its load capacity and stability can better meet transportation requirements," said Feng Tao, project manager of the State Grid Henan Power Transmission and Transformation Company.
China puts first 2-tonne tethered balloon into operation
