Reaping the fruits of relocation

 For the first time in 42 years, Lucy Pandamale Simeon received Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services weather forecasts without a sense of trepidation.

“This is because 13 members of our family have, over the past 15 years, died due to floods-related problems. Some of them were washed away by floods while four drowned as they attempted to cross flooded rivers in their haste to move upland after floods warnings issued by the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services.

“The last incident, when we lost a member of the family, was on March 15, 2023, when Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit and destroyed houses, washed away some people as well as livestock. My distant cousin was among those washed away by the raging waters,” Pandamale Simeon said.

She used to be one of the residents of Makhanga, East Bank, in Nsanje District, where they were used to dancing to the rhythms of natural disasters such as floods.

“In that area [Makhanga], floods were a common occurrence. Every year, Dodma [Department of Disaster Management Affairs] officials could implore us to relocate upland, where we would not be susceptible to floods, but our answer was always ‘no’. To us, we could not abandon our relatives who were buried at Makhanga. We believed that the ancestors would protect us from calamities such as floods.

“However, the frequency of floods and other natural disasters started sparking questions in us. If our ancestors were that powerful, why were they not protecting us from floods? Why were our crops being washed away in the field, exposing us to hunger, year in year out?” Pandamale Simeon, who turned 42 years on March 26, 2026, queried.

She now attributes her decision to relocate from Makhanga to a new relocation site also named after Makhanga to that newfound line of thinking.

“For your information, one relative who was washed away by floods in 2023 is yet to be found. It is presumed that he is dead. He was 12 years old and we believe that the water current was too powerful for him. May Fred’s soul rest in peace,” she said, fighting back tears.

Today, at her new home—located some 30 kilometres from the original site where her father, mother, grandmother, grandfather and six of her relatives who were washed away by floods and found along the riverbanks—she shares jokes with neighbours, who have also made the decision to relocate.

Indeed, Village Headman Makhanga, who leads his people with compassion, is happy that the people accepted to relocate.

“We are free here. When rains fall, we even collect rainwater and use it for other domestic purposes, including washing utensils. We have the basic necessities we need, thanks to the government and its partners, who have drilled boreholes and helped construct durable houses for people who have relocated,” the traditional leader explained.

He said when his subjects were staying in floods-prone Makhanga, they were used to living a hand-to-mouth life as, “as soon as we accumulated wealth through farming, floods would come and wash everything away, thereby condemning us to a vicious cycle of poverty”.

According to non-State actor Concern Universal, which champions the fight against poverty, “the vicious cycle of poverty is a self-reinforcing loop where low income leads to low savings, low investment and low productivity, trapping individuals and societies in persistent poverty”.

Now under the new Makhanga Village’s conducive environment, residents claim that the mere decision to relocate has opened the floodgates of success, thereby putting them in a position to reduce poverty—for a long time the sub-theme to Malawi’s dominant theme of warm-heartedness.

Today, the residents are keen on acquiring a certain level of greatness by becoming richer and happier than those who stuck to the old Makhanga.

Despite life in the old habitant being grisly, the occupiers just seemed to be different: Traditionalists who were ready to die for the skeletons of those buried at graveyards that are strewn in the abandoned land.

Today, Pandamale Simeon and others’ decision to relocate has become a vindication that, sometimes, loyalty must not be blind.

After all, there are worlds one knows and worlds one creates.

Further back in the gloom stands a large hutch of clueless actors.

Other people who have relocated to other newfound places include Beatrice Patricio Gama, 41, who grew up in Sekeni Village, Senior Chief Lundu, in Chikwawa District.

“Sekeni is one of the areas that are affected by floods almost every year. Two years ago, I lost 15 goats, which I received under a pass-on programme that non-governmental organisation Bring It Up was implementing. The goats were washed away by floods.

“What prompted me to relocate is the fact that members of some households that were waiting for goats from me kept pestering me to source 15 goats wherever I could and ensure that they also benefit from the programme. This is despite that they, too, lost household property but nobody has forced them to replace the property they lost at gunpoint.

“I am glad that, after relocating to a new place, well-wishers have given me five goats, which I hope to raise. I am hopeful that, in the next three years, I will be in a position to pass over the goats to others,” she indicated.

Andrew Michael Mtambalika, 50, is another Malawian who, fed up with persistent floods, left familiar life in Namicheni Village, also under Senior Chief Lundu, to embrace the unknown that is life after relocation.

“I have been given land for crop cultivation and, this year, I expect to harvest over 50-kilogramme bags of maize and at least 30 bags of cotton weighing 50 kilogrammes each. I am happy with life here.

“I would like to urge those who are sticking to floods-prone areas to be openminded. There is life outside areas we are familiar with.  I wish each and everyone who stays in floods-prone areas in the Shire Valley takes heed of the government’s message to relocate to higher and safer places. Floods make planning difficult, which is why I am urging all Malawians who want to plan for the future to embrace disaster response mechanisms such as relocation,” he pointed.

On his part, Lundu explained that he encourages subjects who stay in floods-prone areas to relocate upland, saying no traditional leader worth his salt would be happy when subjects are being displaced or killed by floods.

“I am in full support of the government’s Relocation Policy. This is a good policy, especially for people of the Shire Valley, where the floods problem keeps recurring.

“I, therefore, encourage those that are susceptible to floods to seek safety first. I have also been telling traditional leaders who discourage their subjects from relocating simply because the traditional leaders are afraid of losing subject—through the reduction in the number of people they look after—that that is not a good reason to keep people stuck in a place where floods that kill them at any time. Let us value human lives. Let us value people’s property, including livestock, and that can only be done if people move out of floods-prone areas,” the traditional leader explained.

Recently, Dodma Principal Disaster Preparedness Officer Edwin Zawanda cited relocation as a significant long-term strategy for mitigating the impacts of perennial floods, including loss of lives and property, in such areas.
"That is why in districts such as Nsanje and Chikwawa, we have been moving people from disaster-prone areas to upper areas. Not only that, we are taking steps to sensitise community members, in terms of disasters preparedness.
"In addition to that, the new Disaster Risk Management Act also empowers Dodma to make sure that people move from disaster-prone areas to areas where they will be safe. As for those who are sticking to such areas [floods-prone areas], there are regulations that ensure that such people move from such areas," Zawanda said.
And, speaking with The Daily Times, Dodma spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula lauded progress that had been made in the relocation drive.

“The Department of Disaster Management Affairs has made tremendous progress in relocating people to safer places, thanks to well-coordinated efforts with communities, chiefs, councils and various partners. So far, we have relocated over 25,000 households to safer places since 2019, following damages caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai. The highest relocation programme was implemented in TA [Traditional Authority] Mlolo, where we moved over 15,000 households from the flood-prone area of Makhanga to Osiyana, a higher and safer place.  

“We are also ensuring that there is smooth resettlement by providing some social amenities. Makhanga CDSS [Community Day Secondary School] is now being housed at the newly constructed evacuation centre in Mchacha James Village, and we are also constructing the new Makhanga Primary School with funds from South Korea. We have also drilled boreholes and cleared roads in the areas,” Khamula indicated.

He added that partners have been forthcoming in the initiative.

“Our partners, such as Give Directly, have been providing funds to relocated communities for the construction of houses in the safer places.

“In addition, people are slowly realising the need for them to move to safer places. For example, Village Head Samson (Stemison Benard) of STA [Sub-Traditional Authority] Chiputula in Chikwawa sold part of his livestock and used the proceeds to procure land in GVH [Group Village Headman] Gambatula, where he located with his subjects,’ Khamula revealed.   

Indeed, some of the people who have relocated have been helped with access to power sources.

For instance, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has just handed over a solar mini-grid project to Chimphanda relocation site, which is under Traditional Authority Ngabu, in Chikwawa District. 

Phase one of the project has already connected 15 houses that belong to floods survivors, with plans underway to finalise the electrification process for other houses.

IOM Head of Programmes Alina Zalewski expressed hope that the electrification project would go a long way in improving the livelihoods of over 50 households that now call the site home.
And, as one way of promoting access to clean energy, the organisation has been providing clean-cooking stoves to those that have relocated to the site and other safer places.
“We support efforts to mitigate displacement risks. Climate change is affecting many people in Malawi and we aim to minimise [cases of] displacement. For those already displaced, we strive to help them in restoring their lives.
“The solar mini-grid project is a key component of this effort, providing clean energy and promoting sustainable livelihoods. We are working with Dodma to build resilience in Chikwawa and Malawi [as a whole], thereby ensuring that communities can withstand future cyclones and shocks," Zalewski said.
One of the survivors at the site, Mateyu Action, indicated that clean energy use was the way to go.

“IOM has been offering unwavering support to us since floods displaced most of us in areas under Traditional Authority Makhwira in 2015, providing vital relief items to date. The electrification project is a milestone towards uplifting our livelihoods. We are optimistic that it will boost our earnings, enabling us to run small-scale businesses that rely on electricity,” Action said.

He added that they were hopeful that the Shire Valley Transformation Project would help people access social amenities, thereby promoting economic and other activities.
Phase one of the project has seen 15 houses getting connected to the grid, with plans under way to commence phase two of the project.
There are over 50 households at the site, averaging about 200 people.

 

At centre of the storm

Malawi has, over the past 17 years, become inundated with storm and cyclone-induced disasters.

In March 2008, Malawi had a close call with a cyclone, namely Jokwe, which brought heavy rains that were accompanied by strong winds. With speeds of up to 105 metres per hour, it especially decimated property in some parts of Mozambique, with Malawi receiving some of the heavy winds and rains that accompanied it, albeit without registering cases of property damage.

If anything, it is Cyclone Funso, which made landfall in Malawi in January 2012 and induced floods that caused power outages, that made Malawians aware of the risk at hand; that is, increased vulnerability to cyclones.

The natural phenomenon was particularly noticeable because it had been two years since the last cyclone, namely Gelane, had been recorded in the region.

And, after a relatively calm period, the expected also happened in 2019 when, in March, Tropical Cyclone Idai made landfall in the country. It induced heavy rains that were accompanied by heavy winds, culminating in landslides and, in some areas of the country, floods.

A month later, Cyclone Lorna hit, bringing winds that, in some cases, reached 130 kilometres per hour. Its defining features included flooding that culminated in damage to public roads, houses, crop fields. The floods also led to power outages and disrupted water supply systems, among other things.

Malawians, Nankhumwa inclusive, have also been witnesses to Tropical Storm Ana, which made landfall in the Southern African Development Community member state in January 2022 and affected some parts of central and southern Malawi.

As before, it left devastation in its wake, leaving 70-plus people dead, damaging crops, disrupting the provision of education services and leaving 945,728 people—especially those in the Shire Valley districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa, as well as other Southern Region districts of Phalombe, Mangochi and Mulanje—in dire need of relief items such as food and shelter.

In addition, Nankhumwa and many other Malawians have fond memories of Tropical Storm Ana, which impacted the country in January 2022, followed, in March of the same year, by Tropical Storm Ana, both of which brought heavy rains and strong winds that induced floods. Public facilities such as roads, houses, health centres, schools, among things, were destroyed.

Then, on March 11, 2023, Tropical Cyclone Freddy made landfall in Malawi—a country located in Southern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique—with a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment Report estimating that 225 people died, 109,625 hectares of crops for around 308,000 farming families getting washed away, with over 288,000 houses damaged and total damage and losses estimated at $220.2 million.

Freddy killed more than 225 people in Malawi and left thousands of homes in ruins. Many areas were flooded, sparking landslides and other calamities.

For those who have relocated to safer places, the hope is that they will embrace the future with hope, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 13, which promotes climate action.

Transforming Communities Through Service, Vision

 When residents of Village Headman Mchanawo under Traditional Authority (TA) Chitera in Chiradzulu District discovered on January 4 this year that their only nearby borehole had been vandalised, despair quickly spread throughout the community.

For many families, the borehole was more than just a water source— it was a lifeline.

“It was the only borehole within a radius of five kilometres from our homes,” explained Marita Kalongonda, a 42-year-old mother of four.

“We were heartbroken because it meant walking very long distances again just to access clean water. Some women were even forced to fetch water from unsafe open sources, putting families at risk of catching diseases such as cholera,” she explained.

Ruth Saidi, another resident from the village, described the difficult choices many mothers had to make after the vandalism.

“I was forced to draw water for domestic use from swamps. The water was not clean and had a bad smell, but I had children to care for. I needed water for cooking, drinking and ensuring they prepared for school,” she said.

In neighbouring Group Village Head Luna, Stella Mowele said women now wake up as early as 4am to queue for water at distant boreholes.

“We spend hours walking and waiting for water every day. This has affected farming and other productive activities that support our families,” she explained.

Across areas under TAs Mpama and Chitera, concerns over vandalised boreholes continue to grow, worsening already difficult access to safe and potable water.

Speaking during a borehole rehabilitation exercise conducted by Pacific Limited, Group Village Headman Poya said at least five boreholes in his area alone had been vandalised since January.

“We suspect the perpetrators are stealing equipment for sale as scrap metal, although no arrests have been made so far,” he said.

Village Headman Mchanawo added that local vigilance committees had since intensified patrols to safeguard community water points.

Chiradzulu Police Station Officer-in-Charge Henry Kangulu also pledged closer collaboration with communities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

 

 

Restoring hope through corporate responsibility

According to Fadeweck James, team leader for Pacific Limited’s borehole rehabilitation initiative, the company plans to rehabilitate more than 70 boreholes by the end of next month, including 25 that were vandalised.

The initiative continues to transform lives in vulnerable communities where access to clean water remains a major challenge.

Member of Parliament Mwayi Ndalama commended the company for its timely intervention and encouraged more private sector players to invest in initiatives that directly improve people’s lives.

Since launching the programme in 2015, Pacific Limited has rehabilitated more than 9,000 boreholes free of charge across Malawi, helping millions of people gain improved access to potable water.

Stakeholders have praised Faizal Aboo, the businessman behind the company’s expanding corporate social responsibility efforts, for championing projects that directly uplift communities.

His contribution has also received national recognition.

During the presentation of the 2026-27 National Budget in Parliament, Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha singled out Pacific Limited for its significant contribution towards improving access to clean water across the country.

The minister noted that such initiatives complement government efforts to improve public welfare, reduce the burden on vulnerable communities and support national development priorities.

Responding to the recognition, Aboo said the company’s efforts are driven by a commitment to giving back to society.

“We do everything as part of our corporate social responsibility,” he said.

 

 

A vision beyond business

Over the years, Aboo has established himself as one of the country’s notable business figures, with investments spanning tourism, hospitality, agriculture, commerce, real estate and infrastructure development.

His developments in Limbe and Blantyre have contributed to improved access to warehousing facilities, business spaces and hospitality services, creating economic opportunities for many Malawians.

Patrick Emmanuel Chipwaira, who previously operated from one of the business spaces at Pacific Mall in Limbe before relocating to Salima District, described Aboo as a businessman who understands the importance of empowering ordinary people.

“Rental spaces are expensive in many places but Faizal Aboo has consistently provided affordable business space to small-scale traders. That kind of support creates opportunities for people to grow economically,” he said.

Chipwaira added that investments in infrastructure and commerce are essential if Malawi is to realise the ambitions outlined in the Malawi 2063 vision — a national blueprint aimed at transforming the country into an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant upper-middle-income economy.

 

 

 

Commitment during times of crisis

People who worked alongside Aboo during the Covid-19 pandemic also recall the important role he played through the Asian Business Community Covid-19 Task Force.

The initiative mobilised resources and support for hospitals, isolation centres and vulnerable citizens during one of the country’s most difficult public health emergencies.

Martha Potolani Mzeremu, who survived Covid-19 at the height of the pandemic, said the assistance offered through such efforts helped save lives.

“Without the support of well-wishers and organisations that stepped forward during that difficult time, many people would have suffered even more,” she said.

She added that contributions from business leaders demonstrated the importance of unity and compassion during national crises.

 

 

 

Service through partnership

Known by many as “Mr Limbe”, Aboo says meaningful national development can only be achieved through unity of purpose among government, the private sector and communities.

“I feel fulfilled when I serve people,” he said.

“I want to continue contributing to Malawi’s socio-economic development because progress is only possible when we work together to build the country we all want,” Aboo added.

Accountability Is The Key To Democracy

Malawians opted for multiparty democracy in the 1993 Referendum, a decision they sustained when they voted for the United Democratic Front and booted out the Malawi Congress Party, which had been running the country’s affairs for some three decades, in 1994.

In opting for democracy, voters signalled that they were ready to embrace a new way of governing the country. For instance, instead of waiting for leaders to make all decisions—including those pertaining to life and death—for them, Malawians wanted to have a stake in decision-making processes.

Logically, this is done every five years, when eligible voters vote for President, members of Parliament and ward councillors. Considering that these elected officials cannot be turning to citizens before making each and every decision, the leaders utilise the vote to rule on trust until the next turn for elections comes.

However, things do not seem to be working the way most voters anticipated.

Afrobarometer has just released findings that indicate that the full demand for democracy declined by 18 percentage points over the past decade. The measure covers citizens who prefer democracy and reject one-person, one-party and military rule.

The research institute attributes the decline to growing concerns about government performance, political freedoms and corruption. According to the report, full demand for democracy in Malawi fell from 49 percent in 2014-2015 to 31 percent in 2024-2025.

Across Africa, only 36 percent of citizens expressed full demand for democracy in 2024-2025, down from 47 percent among the 28 countries consistently surveyed over the past decade.

The findings indicate that the increasingly negative assessments of government performance, concerns about presidents ignoring the law and Parliament, problematic elections, declining political freedoms and corruption are the factors undermining confidence in democratic institutions.

This is disappointing, considering that democracy thrives on accountability.

When citizens feel that the leaders they put into positions are resistant to calls for accountability, they shut off and let things be.

No wonder, voter apathy has become a norm in national elections in Malawi.

However, there is room for improvement and this can happen once leaders recognise that they rule on trust and that, as such, they have to do what citizens want.

Citizens are tired of nepotism, corruption and politics of patronage.

All Malawians have a stake in national development efforts and, as such, they have to be given a chance to shape national discourse.

Gun Laws Need A Look

Malawi is, every now and then, affected by the problem of gun violence.

No wonder, the country has been putting in place mechanisms for addressing issues such as manufacturing, marking and tracing of firearms and related materials; import and export of firearms and related materials; the handling of firearms in transit; civilian licensing, competency certificates and possession of firearms; control over State-owned firearms; ammunition control; firearm destruction; amnesty and voluntary surrender of small arms and light weapons, among other things.

The country has also been making efforts to address issues related to firearms, including the establishment of the National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons. At the regional level, the Malawi Police Service has been leveraging on regional solidarity by joining the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation.

All these efforts are deliberate, and aimed at ensuring that the country is safe from gun-related violence, which includes armed robbery, suicide using licensed and even unlicensed firearms, unregulated arms and ammunition trade, and other things.

Fortunately for Malawi, other stakeholders outside the Malawi Police Service, Malawi Defence Force, Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, Malawi Prison Service, among others, are taking interest in firearms related issues. The typical example is Peoples’ Federation for National Peace and Development and Magistrates and Judges Association in Malawi.

All these steps are necessary, as fighting gun violence is a multifaceted task.

This is especially important as, of late, the country has been in the news for bad reasons; the gunning down of innocent citizens by heartless people.

However, all the current efforts risk being in vain because the Firearms Act of 1967 is outdated. While other countries, notably South Africa, have put fire cracks in the category of firearms, Malawi does not know in which category to place them. Needless to say, the unregulated use of fire cracks can lead to security breakdown, as ill-intentioned people may use them to disguise the sound of guns while committing crimes.

Firearms have also evolved and advanced. Money has lost value, meaning that fees that were heavy in 1967 are now light.

We, therefore, join stakeholders who are calling for the amendment of the Firearms Act of 1967. Apart from being outdated, the Act is dangerous because some of its provisions tie the hands of the Judiciary. For instance, it gives the line minister power to deny an individual a permit to own a gun without giving any reason. To make matters worse, the law says the decision of the minister cannot be appealed in any court of law, be it magistrates’ courts, the High Court—even the High Court sitting as a Constitutional Court—the Supreme Court of Appeal and any international court.

Surely, it is high time the authorities reviewed such laws and put them in line with democratic principles.

Investigating scientific methods for flood mitigation: Part 2

 In this two-part series—which has been produced with support from the Louise Behan Grant, an initiative of the World Federation of Science Journalists—RICHARD CHIROMBO analyses the potential strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific approaches to flood management and their impact on reducing flood-related damage in the Shire Valley.

Innovator Nankhumwa, who was born on January 1, 2000 and is an ICT student, said he decided to come up with his innovation because he has always believed that “youths are not leaders of tomorrow; rather, they are leaders of today”.

“This realisation was especially important because it is us, youths, who are being exposed to natural disasters more often than our parents. This means because we are facing problems today, we must be part of the solution now.

“Actually, the floods detector I am using is the third one. I first installed one in Namalaka area, Zomba, last year. It was stolen. We then installed another one in the river; it was stolen again. This is the third one,” Nankhumwa says, pointing at the device.

Basically, the device, which is fitted to a tree in Likangala River, has sensors, which are connected to a megaphone n alarm that is, itself, connected to a server at the University of Malawi (Unima)’s main campus in Zomba City. When water levels rise, the alarm sounds.

“We are now working on software that will enable us to alert community members through a short message service (SMS) tool in our quest to protect lives and property so that, in these times of storms and floods, people should not be living in fear,” Nankhumwa says.

By “us”, he is including Shadreck Kamwana, with whom he is working on an application they want to put on Playstore.

When we found him at Unima campus, he was busy observing data that was being produced by the server.

Readings on the display tablet indicated as follows:

 

Temperature: 25 degrees Celsius

Humidity: 27.80

Water [levels]: Normal

 

“This means the situation is, back at Likangala River, normal. There is no imminent threat of floods,” Kamwana, a bachelor of science student at Unima, says.

Kamwana says they have made inroads on the issue of utilising technology to predict the occurrence of floods and other natural phenomena, expressing hope that they expect to have a more vibrant and updated system within the next two years.

As for Nankhumwa, he is always looking forward to creating something big.

He says he is always motivated by a certificate of recognition for his work, which he displays in his house in Chizalo area, Zomba.

It reads: Certificate of Innovation Award: This certificate is proudly presented to Steward Nankhumwa. His overall aptitude for technological innovation has been recognised by organisations seeking to foster and support young talent in Malawi. Therefore, he is being recognised for his ingenuity, his ability to create practical technological solutions, and his potential to contribute to the technological advancement of his community and country. 22 March 2024. Life from the heart in memory of Kyle Hayhoe 2022.’

 

Shire Valley stakeholders’ disaster mitigation methods

Meanwhile, residents of the Shire Valley districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje, which are synonymous with natural disasters such as storm and cyclone-induced floods, do not have the luxury of flood alarm systems of the nature found in Likangala River.

Chikwawa District Disaster Management Officer Charity Machika says they try their best to alert community members to issues such as the possibility of floods.

“I think the alert systems are working well. If Chikwawa suffers from disasters, it is because of the terrain. Geographically, it is in a low-lying area and, as such, all the rains that fall upland, all the water that comes from other areas, rush to the Shire Valley. We also have the Shire River, which also carries all that water to the Shire Valley, thereby increasing the risk of flooding.

“There are also many rivers. The Shire River itself, which is Lake Malawi’s only outlet, is fed water by rivers in Mwanza District,” she explains.

She emphasises that they are ready to embrace innovation.

“For now, though, in terms of early warning systems, we depend on reports from the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services. When we get reports of, say, impending floods, we send warning messages to residents. We are also encouraging the adoption of [the concept of] Anticipatory Humanitarian Action.

“We have also relocated people. We relocated some people from Matsukambiya area in Ngabu to Kamseche, which is under Traditional Authority (TA) Makhuwira,” Machika points out, adding that they have metals that gauge the level of water in flood-prone rivers.

She, however, says because people have to physically check the metal bars placed in rivers, it becomes difficult for officers to check the readings when outdoor weather is adverse.

Her Nsanje District counterpart, Dan Mandala, echoes the sentiments that manual alert systems can be difficult to manage when the weather outside is adverse.

“[Like Chikwawa], Nsanje is located in a lowline area. What happens upland ends up in the Shire River,” Mandala explains.

In terms of scientific methods they are using, he cites river gauges, rain gauges, which they have planted in schools and other facilities, among other tools.

“We also depend on weekly and monthly forecasts from the Department of Climate Change and Citizenship Services. As you know, issues related to weather prediction are a shared responsibility.

“Of course, the tools we are using, notably river gauges, are old systems, such that it becomes difficult to physically check on them, say, in adverse weather conditions. By the time one goes to the place they are stationed to check on something, key indicators could have changed,” he says.

In terms of disaster mitigation methods, officials have relocated some community members from flood-prone areas to safe ones. For instance, some people were transferred from Makhanga area, which is under TA Mlolo, to areas under TA Mbenje.

Meanwhile, aware that they are the ones with most advanced equipment in the weather, climate and risk alert messages issuance system, the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services continues to work over time to ensure that Malawians and residents of Malawi are well fed with information.

Meteorologist Alick Chiba, who works in the National Meteorological Centre (NMC) at the department, says they are responsible for producing weather forecasts, issuing advisory alerts, among other services.

“Most weather systems are not visible. We, therefore, need machines to analyse things. We typically deal with models, which are local, regional and global ones. We also have a Flood Avoidance Model, which was developed under Sadc [Southern African Development Community].

“The good thing about local models like Cosmo is that you can, for example, make a three-day precipitation analysis. The local model uses real data while global models depend on satellite data. In other words, using global models to predict local weather is like using predictions to make predictions,” Chiba explains.

He is quick to say challenges they face include power outages, a problem they have addressed by using the solar energy system they received from the United Nations Development Programme sometime back.

The backup system became handy when Cyclone Jude made landfall in Malawi in March this year, when incessant rains culminated in a power outage at the department’s headquarters in Blantyre.

The use of a backup system meant chief meteorologist (communications) Hussein Milanzi continued his key work of ensuring that the Pama satellite data receiving system and the Cosmo model, which was adopted from Germany, were keeping the country updated on weather phenomena.

“We now have state-of-the-art equipment. The Cosmo model, for instance, is a seven-kilometre resolution model that enables us to differentiate weather [patterns] within two points,” Milanzi says.

In that well-conditioned room, he can monitor the WRF [Weather Research Forecast] Model, the Lightning Detection System, among others. In fact, there is a server that services two buoys that are stationed on Lake Malawi.

On her part, director for the department, Dr Lucy Mtilatila, says they ensure that—utilising data generated from their 120 automatic weather stations, two buoys on Lake Malawi and eight lightning sensors—they use social media tools such as Facebook, their website—which even has a map room where the user can create real-time maps on it, community radio stations, television stations, among other channels, they give the nation tailormade information when it matters the most.

“And, as a region, we usually meet and share information,” Mtilatila indicates.

She says this enables them to name cyclones and, when they loom, predict their path.

“Basically, cyclones are formed when the temperature in the Indian Ocean, which is the source of cyclones that, of late, have been reaching Malawi, reaches 27 degrees Celsius,” the director points out.

That is why cyclones no longer make landfall in Malawi while disguised as an invisible enemy; their path is clearly marked.