Kuchene Women Forum executive director Mary Namalomba has warned people living in flood-prone areas in Nsanje District to relocate before the rainy season starts.
She said this on Sunday at Mtowe Trading Centre in the district during a meeting with community members on this year’s rainfall forecast.
Namalomba said Nsanje is expected to receive normal to above rainfall due to La nina weather phenomenon, according to the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services,
She said: “As a district which experiences floods almost annually, we decided to conduct an awareness campaign to enlighten people about this year’s rainfall forecast.
“We urge people living in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer places and construct resilient houses.”
Namalomba also asked people in the district to plant early maturing maize varieties and drought-resilient crops such as cassava, potatoes and sorghum.
A community member Mercy William from Traditional Authority (T/A) Nyachikadza thanked the non-governmental organisation (NGO) for sharing weather information with the people.
“To be forewarned is to be forearmed, so they say. People living in flood-prone areas should move upland before the rainy season,” she said.
William said they will relocate to Bitilinyu Camp in T/A Ndamera.
On her part, Mchochoma Malikinzi from T/A Ndamera said they will plant early maturing crops.
“We are tired of begging food from well-wishers. We will follow the advice,” he said.
Nsanje district housing officer Moses Mumba thanked the non-governmental organisation for raising awareness to people living in flood-prone areas.
The NGO is implementing a Climate Change Justice Project with funding from ActionAid Malawi
