Hard Hit by El Nino : Experiences, Responses and Options for Malawi
In Malawi, the impact of extreme weather events has significantly contributed to the recurrent crises of food insecurity. The extreme weather events have shifted the country’s focus from improving agricultural productivity and resilience to ensurin...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/666411527601378031/Hard-hit-by-El-nino-experiences-responses-and-options-for-Malawi http://hdl.handle.net/10986/30037 |
| Summary: | In Malawi, the impact of extreme weather
events has significantly contributed to the recurrent crises
of food insecurity. The extreme weather events have shifted
the country’s focus from improving agricultural productivity
and resilience to ensuring survival, with most resources
devoted toward humanitarian assistance. The country is
highly exposed to multiple hazards that cause widespread
shocks. In recent years, the country faced successive and
compounding climatic shocks: from the worst flood in 50
years in 2015, to the strongest El Niño event in 35 years in
2016. This prompted declaration of a state of disaster and
left 39 percent of the country (6.7 million people) at risk
of food insecurity during the 2016/17 consumption period.
The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most
important driver of climatic variability in Malawi. Even
though El Niño occurrences are predicted to increase in
frequency, the Government of Malawi’s (GoM) actions are
inadequate, as disaster management is largely reactive than
proactive.The agriculture sector, which contributes 30
percent to Malawi’s gross domestic product (GDP), has been
severely affected by the extreme weather events. This is
amplified by the overreliance on single-season rainfed
agricultural production, dominated by maize-based systems
that are vulnerable to climatic shocks. The agriculture
sector incurs huge losses when disaster strikes, amounting
to approximately 89 percent of the total losses. In response
to reduced production of most crops, average prices have
generally increased, fueling inflation and reduced
agricultural growth, and ultimately adversely impacting the
economy at large. The Government of Malawi (GoM) has
responded by putting in place various policies and
coordinating institutions or structures to address extreme
weather events, including increasing its responsibility for
responding to the aftermath e.g. increasing support to maize
purchases. However, its policies are fragmented, with
inadequate resources to translate them into action, while
capacity gaps further cripple increased coordination
requirements. In view of this, efforts have not translated
into sustained results when disasters recur, creating a
vicious cycle of food insecurity and vulnerability. This
analytical work was undertaken to assist the GoM to
strengthen its efforts toward effectively responding to
extreme weather-related events, especially El Niño and La
Niña phenomena. Specifically, the study aims to provide a
critical review of how the country has responded to recent
extreme weather events, draw lessons for future response
planning, and identify gaps and options to strengthen
preparedness and response to El Niño, La Niña, and similar
weather events. The study used a combination of primary and
secondary data collected from July to September 2017.
Primary data were collected through focus group discussions
and key informant interviews in Malawi’s 15 disaster-prone
districts. Secondary data included a review of various
policies, research reports, and other documents. |
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