Disasters in Malawi

Malawi's formal disaster-management framework is based mainly on the Disaster Risk Management Act 2023, which became operational on 1 November 2023, and the National Disaster Risk Management Policy 2015. The Department of Disaster Management Affairs, known as DoDMA, coordinates national action. The Commissioner for Disaster Risk Management supports plans, risk assessments, early-warning procedures, response and recovery. District Commissioners, local government authorities and District or Area Disaster Risk Management Committees coordinate much of the local work. Malawi's disaster-management system is therefore nationally coordinated but operationally uneven between districts. Flooding is the most immediate widespread hazard. River floods, flash floods, heavy urban rain and lakeshore flooding affect the Lower Shire and Shire River Basin, the Southern Region, lakeshore settlements and low-lying communities. All four main cities have areas exposed to flooding. Cyclones and tropical storms can bring extreme rain, strong winds and mudslides, particularly in southern and eastern Malawi. Drought, El Niño conditions and extended dry spells affect the whole country and can reduce harvests, food security, water supplies and livelihoods, especially where agriculture depends on rainfall. Landslides are more likely on steep or erosion-prone ground after intense rain. Thunderstorms, lightning, heatwaves and strong winds are seasonal risks. Earthquakes remain a regional concern along the East African Rift, including areas around Karonga, Chilumba, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota and Chipoka. Wildfires occur but have a lower documented priority. Malawi has no direct coastal tsunami risk because it is landlocked. Temperatures have risen by about 0.9°C since 1960. Projections indicate roughly 1–3°C of additional warming by 2050, later rainfall onset, earlier rainfall ending and more extreme rainfall. These changes can increase the frequency or severity of flood, drought and cyclone impacts. Rural rain-fed farming communities, low-income households, children, older people, women-headed households, people with disabilities and isolated lakeshore or Lower Shire communities can face higher exposure or greater difficulty reaching assistance. Preparedness includes national and local disaster-risk-management plans, multi-hazard contingency plans, risk assessments, public information, training, simulations, equipment certification and continuity plans for essential services. Authorities can identify high-risk areas and use development controls, relocation or resettlement measures. In 2024, five district Emergency Operation Centres, or EOCs, were documented in Zomba, Karonga, Salima, Dedza and Phalombe. An EOC is a centre that supports the coordination of information, decisions, responders and supplies during an emergency. The current availability of a district EOC and other services must be checked locally. The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services, called DCCMS, monitors weather and climate through more than 100 automatic weather stations and 21 conventional synoptic stations. The Department of Water Resources issues river-flood early warnings under the Act. DCCMS warnings and advisories can cover heavy rainfall, flash floods, heatwaves, strong winds and lightning. Information may appear through metmalawi.gov.mw, the Zanyengo app, television, MBC, national and local radio, social media and WhatsApp. Chenjezo 24/7 is a bilingual English and Chichewa warning application that can send SMS, WhatsApp, email and push alerts and provide evacuation maps, emergency contacts, reports and chatbot functions. Its documented preparedness use has focused especially on urban areas such as Lilongwe and Mzuzu. Community leaders, traditional leaders, local councils and the Malawi Red Cross Society can help distribute warnings locally. The national multi-hazard warning system is not yet fully established, so the warning chain remains fragmented. Reviewed official sources did not identify one single national emergency telephone number. A State of Disaster is declared by the President and published in the Gazette when the scale of an event requires extraordinary measures. The declaration activates response arrangements immediately. It normally lasts three months, with extensions of up to three months at a time. DoDMA and the Commissioner coordinate emergency information, warnings, relief, search and rescue, shelter, traffic and access controls, debris removal and temporary infrastructure. District Commissioners and local disaster-management committees lead local coordination, with support from the Police, Malawi Defence Force, Malawi Red Cross Society, United Nations agencies and other organisations according to the situation. Flooded roads and bridges, power failures, water interruptions and damaged telecommunications can delay access. The Commissioner can issue an evacuation notice when a disaster or imminent threat exists. The notice identifies the hazard, the evacuation area and the potential scale of loss or injury, and it should be communicated to affected residents and the public. People may be directed to an evacuation centre. Evacuation procedures should follow applicable standard operating procedures, reduce family separation and protect safety and human rights. People have a duty to follow lawful evacuation directions and must not obstruct responders; the Act allows reasonable force in circumstances provided by law. An evacuation-centre stay can last up to three months, with extensions of up to three months at a time. A designated officer manages the centre and should provide rights protection and a complaints process. Relocation from a high-risk area outside an acute emergency requires at least 30 days' notice stating the reason, boundaries, procedure, resettlement location and mitigation or compensation arrangements. Assistance normally moves through DoDMA and the Commissioner, the District Commissioner or disaster-management committee, an EOC or evacuation centre, and an assessment of needs. Malawi does not have a documented nationwide promise of individual cash or in-kind assistance for every affected person. Relief depends on the event, the assessment, available resources and partner capacity. Food, water, shelter, basic health support, education, water and sanitation services and other essential items are common priorities. The President may request international relief on the advice of the National Disaster Risk Management Committee, while DoDMA coordinates the response. The Disaster Risk Management Trust Fund can receive appropriations, donations and grants for preparedness, response, relief, livelihood and infrastructure restoration, and compensation. The public disaster-management information database required by the Act is free to access. No general fee or fixed payment for affected people is documented, and alert-channel or SMS costs are not specified. After immediate response, the National Disaster Risk Management Committee can establish a recovery programme. DoDMA coordinates rehabilitation, reconstruction and the principle of building back better. A Post-Disaster Needs Assessment identifies short-, medium- and long-term priorities. Recovery can include livelihoods, agriculture and irrigation, housing, roads and bridges, schools, health facilities, water and sanitation, electricity, telecommunications and markets. Flood-resilient transport, drainage and river infrastructure are especially relevant in the Lower Shire and Shire Basin. Cyclone Freddy in 2023 affected more than two million people, caused about US$506.7 million in damage and economic losses, and produced estimated recovery and reconstruction needs of about US$680.4 million. Transport suffered the greatest infrastructure damage, while damage to Kapichira hydropower had previously affected about 30% of national generation capacity. People affected by a disaster have a right to safe evacuation, rights-respecting treatment, accessible information and a way to submit complaints. Anyone providing assistance should coordinate with the responsible authorities and match aid to assessed needs. False relief claims and the diversion, sale or misuse of relief items are offences. Authorities may acquire equipment, land or supplies for disaster action, subject to fair compensation under the Act. Current district warnings, evacuation centres, road access, local contacts and available assistance should be verified through DoDMA, the relevant District Commissioner, local disaster-management structures or the active warning channels because conditions and operational coverage change by location.