World Food Programme (WFP) has asked southern African countries, including Malawi to step up preparations to mitigate the impact of the anticipated El Niño weather phenomenon.
WFP has warned that late action could significantly increase humanitarian costs and worsen food insecurity across the region.
Speaking in Blantyre yesterday during the Anticipatory Action Regional Learning Exchange Meeting for seven countries, WFP country director Hyoung-Joon Lim said Malawi and its regional partners must begin acting urgently to reduce the impact of the looming climate shock.
He said governments should immediately begin procuring maize and other essential food commodities, strengthen irrigation programmes, improve grain storage systems, support farmers with agricultural inputs, enhance early warning systems and mobilise resources for rapid response.
“Don’t wait for El Niño to strike before you act. Food is more affordable now, but later it will be more expensive. Procurement and delivery also take time, so it is important to act as early as possible,” said Lim.
possible. | Kondwani Nyondo
He said experience from anticipatory action programmes shows that early interventions can significantly reduce the cost of humanitarian assistance and improve household resilience.
Lim added that early action could save between €2 000 and €4 000 per household (between K3.8 million and K7.6 million), depending on the scale of intervention.
On the other hand, he said conventional humanitarian response after disasters have already escalated cost between €6 000 and €10 000 per household (between K11.4 million and K19 million), exerting greater pressure on limited resources. He warned that delays in action would expose Malawi and the region to higher costs at a time humanitarian needs are already rising.
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) forecasts indicate that the coming El Niño could be among the strongest in recent years, raising concerns for agricultural production and food security across the region, where millions depend on rain-fed farming.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said in her Tuesday update at WMO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, that there is an 80 percent chance that El Niño conditions will develop between June and August and a 90 percent probability thereafter.
The UN weather agency has warned that the phenomenon is likely to fuel more extreme weather patterns across the globe, threatening agriculture, water resources, energy supplies, trade, livelihoods and food security across several regions, including southern Africa.
In an interview, Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services deputy director Clement Boyce said the country is closely monitoring evolving climate patterns and working with regional and global partners to refine seasonal outlooks.
He said while detailed downscaled forecasts are still being finalised, early indications point to increased risk of dry spells in parts of the country, underscoring the need for early preparedness across sectors.
The regional learning exchange continues to bring together governments and humanitarian partners to strengthen preparedness and coordination ahead of the anticipated climate event affecting southern Africa.
The meeting has drawn participants from Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Madagascar, Tanzania and Namibia.
In Lesotho, the meteorological department said it has already issued two El Niño advisories and is running seasonal climate models for the October to December period.
Malawi is taking similar steps. Department of Disaster Management Affairs deputy director of preparedness Nelly Kalengamaliro said the country has already begun preparations alongside other southern African nations, guided by the National Anticipatory Action Framework.
The UN defines El Niño as a natural climate phenomenon that occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean become warmer than average. It occurs every two to seven years, mostly developing between March and June and lasts around nine to 12 months.
