Expanding water supply amid climate change

 Official figures show that 86 percent of Malawians have access to water, meaning a round trip to fetch the life-sustaining liquid takes no more than 30 minutes.

However, the turnaround time increases fast as one visits the country’s rural communities where water points remain far apart and often run dry due to drought amid climate change.

Despite national efforts to improve access, some households, especially the rural majority, still struggle daily to obtain water.

According to United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), 63 percent of the rural households access safe drinking water while 37 percent spend over 30 minutes fetching water as do just 13 percent in urban areas.

In 2008, policymakers envisaged that no one would travel over 30 minutes to draw water.

However, 17 years on, Malawians still trek for hours in search of clean water, trapped in a crisis of inadequate access that undermines their health, dignity and economic prospects

Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia says implementation of the policy has become challenging with climate change worsening water stress and damaging infrastructure.

“Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall and extreme weather events such as floods are disrupting water supply systems, contaminating water sources and destroying sanitation infrastructure. During floods, pipes are damaged, cutting off access to clean water,” she narrates.

Mia says catchment conservation and restoration of degraded landscapes, including wetlands and riverbanks, play a crucial role in sustaining water sources.

Recently, Malawi has been hit hard by harsh effects of climate change, especially droughts, cyclones and flooding.

The climate shocks threaten access to water and food in the country where many farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture.

As the government and its partners strive to expand access to water and sanitation, they also face a daunting task of strengthening resilience to climate change.

Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) director of operations Asuman Ungwe says climate change has taken a toll on water supply.

“In the Northern Region, we are feeling the impact. Floods have damaged our pipelines, reducing water supply. We need to explore solutions to mitigate these disruptions and ensure continued access to clean water,” he says.

Concurring, WaterAid head of policy and advocacy Chandiwira Chisi says while Malawi has made strides in improving water supply, sanitation remains a major challenge.

“People’s habits, such as open defaecation, are holding back progress. Even today, six in every 100 Malawians lack access to toilets. This worsens the risk of water contamination and sanitation-related infections, especially during cyclones and flooding,” he says.

For water utilities, climate shocks come at a steep price.

Lilongwe Water Board chief executive officer Silli Mbewe says the board spends “significant resources”–estimated in billions– on efforts to mitigate the damage caused by floods.

“When pipelines are broken due to heavy rains, repairs drain our finances, affecting the entire supply system. We must find sustainable solutions to ensure resilience,” he says.

Government advocates climate-resilient water systems.

Mia states: “We are reconstructing water systems to go deeper underground, making them more resilient to climate shocks.

“This includes both motorised and solar-powered piped water schemes. In rural areas, we are building high-yielding boreholes that can withstand extreme weather.”

This year’s World Water Day theme dialled up the need for local and sustainable solutions to foster water development amid changing climatic conditions.

Despite all the talk and touted progress, millions of Malawians still lack access to safe water and sanitation, increasing the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks such as cholera.

As the climate crisis intensifies, reliable access to clean water is no longer just a global Sustainable Development Goal; it is a fight for survival