Malawi Floods Emergency Recovery Project

The MFERP is a 4-year World Bank funded project which is primarily focusing on the sustainable restoration of agricultural livelihoods, enhanced food security, resilient reconstruction of critical public infrastructure, restoration of services, and investments in longer-term risk reduction following the January, 2015, floods. The selection of interventions and the corresponding resource allocation under the MFERP is based on the principle of “building back better” and maintaining “proportionality” with the impact and needs quantified under the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). The project is focusing on 15 districts that were heavily impacted by the floods namely; Nsanje, Chikwawa, Phalombe, Zomba, Blantyre, Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Mulanje, Balaka, Machinga, Mangochi, Ntcheu, Salima, Rumphi and Karonga.

The department plays a very critical role in the implementation of the project by providing advice on a programmatic, cross-sectoral framework of recovery interventions. DoDMA also plays an advisory role in guiding the PIU in the development and implementation of a Recovery Framework that will help towards coordinating and planning floods recovery in an integrated and cohesive manner. The department further serves as a convening forum and repository for multi-sector and programmatic recovery planning.

 The project has the following four component:

• Component 1: Livelihoods Restoration and Food Security;
• Component 2: Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Reconstruction;
• Component 3: Promoting Disaster Resilience; and
• Component 4: Program Management.

 The Department of Disaster Management Affairs is responsible for the implementation of Component 3 – Promoting Disaster Resilience, over and above its advisory role and overall coordination of the whole project. The component has two subcomponents as summarized below.

Sub-Component 3.1: Institutional Strengthening of DoDMA:

This sub-component will provide technical assistance to strengthen the institutional set-up and operational capacities of DoDMA for post-disaster response and recovery. In addition, it will also study the economic viability of the rehabilitation of the railway lines, which were severely damaged by the floods. This sub-component will include:

• Improving data preparedness and capacity development for PDNA;
• Strengthening recovery planning and implementation;
• Developing community mapping and improve land use planning; and
• Enhancing disaster response systems. 

Sub-Component 3.2: Multi-sector Design of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure:

 This sub-component will provide technical assistance to different departments and ministries for the development and institutionalization of disaster and climate-resilient design standards for infrastructure construction in the future. This shall include the design of roads, drainage infrastructure and public buildings, such as schools, health centers and government offices. The sub-component will also provide technical assistance for:

• a review and strengthening of guidelines for safer housing;
• the development of an awareness raising strategy in respect of the use of safer housing construction guidelines;
• the development of national building codes and standards for private housing; and
• carrying out a study to assess the viability of railways rehabilitation.