Ellen Fote from Mateyu Village in Traditional Authority Mbenje in Nsanje District says over the past five years, she has been unlucky with disasters.
She has experienced cyclone Idai, Gombe and Ana.
Fote says she has been repeatedly told to move upland, but without a clear relocation plan.
“I am ready to relocate, but there are no measures to facilitate the transition to a safer place. I need land to farm and basic requirements when I relocate,” she said.
For five consecutive years, Malawi has experienced climate-induced disasters, including Cyclone Freddy and more recently, El Niño.
This has placed Malawi among the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change.
These disasters have resulted in huge economic losses that will take time to recover from.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) estimates the losses to cost about K2.5 trillion.
With rains already underway in most parts of the country, Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services director Lucy Mtilatila says weather forecasts show that in December, February and March, most parts of the country, especially flood-prone areas, will receive normal to above-normal rainfall, signalling a possibility of flooding.
She urges stakeholders to prepare adequately based on the information provided.
Dodma commissioner Wilson Moleni said there is need for a paradigm shift in disaster management from reactive to proactive to reduce disaster-related costs.
“We are prepared for moderate disasters and have response teams stationed in disaster-prone areas such as Nsanje District. We believe allowing communities at risk to participate in making decisions affecting them is the best way to improve resilience and disaster response,” he said.
Asked whether there is a special disaster budget, Moleni said the department is relying on K83 billion miscellaneous budgetary allocations.
This figure, however, is far lower than what is required to respond to disasters in recent years.
Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Climate Change chairperson Tiaone Hendri said with the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, Malawi stands at a critical crossroads.
She said the relentless impact of cyclones, droughts and floods threatens to derail the country’s ambitious socio-economic goals outlined in Malawi 2063.
“We have struggled with the impact of disasters, but it is always sad to see a lack of preparedness. Now that we have early warnings from the Meteorological Department, it is time for stakeholders to put their heads together and find ways to strengthen response mechanisms. Preparedness should go beyond floods. As a key stakeholder, we hope Dodma will engage us with clear plans on how it has prepared. Preparedness is key to effective disaster response,” said Hendri.
Meanwhile, environmental activist Mathews Malata said Malawi’s disaster preparedness leaves a lot to be desired.
He said preparedness would improve if the Disaster Risk Management Trust Fund was invested in.
“In 2023, Malawi enacted the Disaster Risk Management Act, which provides for the establishment of the Disaster Risk Management Trust Fund. This fund is meant to serve as a repository for disaster risk management financing. Operationalising this fund could help establish a clear and reliable source of funding for disasters. At the moment, the country is more reactive than proactive,” said Malata.
Economic experts warn that recurring disasters in Malawi have the potential to significantly hinder economic growth and disrupt the attainment of Malawi 2063.
