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Items filtered by date: October 2022

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) says it is ready to roll-out the implementation of the 2022/23 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme (LS-FIRP) targeting food insecure populations as projected by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC).

MVAC projected that 3.8 million people will be food insecure in 27 districts and four cities of the country during the 2022/23 lean season (November 2022 to March 2023) leading to the development of the (LS-FIRP) to assist in resource mobilization and guide the response intervention.

Speaking in Zomba City during a full council meeting on the implementation of the 2022/23 LS-FIRP, DoDMA’s Deputy Director of Response Fyawupi Mwafongo said the department is prepared and looking forward to a smooth implementation of the programme and has already disbursed funds for preparatory activities to five councils whose beneficiaries will receive assistance for five months, starting from November this year.

“Five councils namely; Zomba District, Zomba City, Chikwawa, Nsanje and Balaka will receive assistance for five months, while the rest of the councils in the southern region will get assistance for four months. Beneficiaries in the central and northern regions of the country will be assisted for three months.

“We are using two modalities; cash transfers and in-kind maize distribution to address the food situation. We are taking no chances and we are currently meeting with contracted transporters to iron out all logistical hindrances to ensure smooth implementation of the programme,” said Mwafongo.

He then called upon councils to expedite the processes of sensitizing community structures such as the Area/Village development and Civil Protection Committees stressing that they are key in the implementation of the programme.

“We expect the councils to speed up the beneficiary identification processes while following guidelines for the provision of humanitarian assistance,” said Mwafongo.

In his remarks, Zomba City Mayor His Worship Councillor Davie Maunde concurred with Mwafongo in calling for speed and efficiency in the implementation of the programme.

“Let us all work in line with the specified time frame and deadlines so that we hit the ground in time. Let us not let down the less privileged, they are counting on us,” said Maunde.

Similar sensitization meetings have been held in Balaka, Zomba, Nsanje and Chikwawa Districts. The meetings will be conducted in all the affected councils.

 

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) with support from Malawi Red Cross Society, Danish Red Cross and the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), and in partnership with the United Nations, is coordinating a three-day National Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action aimed at developing and implementing a multi-sector Malawi Anticipatory Action Roadmap.

As a member state of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), on 8th September, 2022, Malawi adopted the Maputo Declaration on bridging the gap between early warning and early action.

The declaration calls for the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Secretary General to provide every citizen on the planet with access to reliable, accurate and timely early warning systems.

The commitment builds on the Global Multi-Hazard Alert System Framework (GMAS), and the African Union’s Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Action System (AMHEWAS) which forms part of the African Union’s Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan for 2022-2032.

In his opening speech, Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, Charles Kalemba said It was pleasing to note that the national dialogue platform was taking place at a critical time when Malawi is reflecting on the disaster impacts and lessons from the previous season to properly prepare for this forthcoming season.

Kalemba said disaster preparedness and response planning as well as financing are critical to ensure that strategies and mechanisms are in place to save lives and property as well as reduce the impacts of the disasters and facilitate timely assistance.

“As per the event theme ‘Ready to Act before disaster Impact,’ the critical role of anticipatory action in disaster risk management cannot be overemphasized more especially with its focus that all selected anticipatory actions and their financing are predefined and agreed to allow for quick, early action and support implementation within the window of opportunity,” said Kalemba.

He said that through the interactions as well as the exchanges of experiences and knowledge, the platform will improve awareness about the concepts of early warning and anticipatory action among relevant stakeholders to support the mobilization of additional support to the human, financial and infrastructure capacities of entities responsible for early warning and early action.

He said: “Government is willing to increase efforts to accelerate anticipatory action, considering that this can have a positive role in ensuring prevention and adaptive approaches that contribute to effectively preventing food insecurity, loss of livelihood, among others.”

On her part, Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) Director of Programmes, Prisca Chisala said the anticipatory actions roadmap will provide space for upscaling the good practices that each institution is promoting.

She said the role each partner will play in the meeting will be appreciated as it will help to consolidate their work, coordinate and respond to emerging disasters.

“This interface meeting is paramount to our day-to-day work. It is a call for everyone to take part in the processes as disasters have become more prevalent each and every year, said Chisala.

Kalemba acknowledged the support of all those supporting the various anticipatory action initiatives at different levels in the country and requested for more support towards implementation of anticipatory action initiatives as well as the operationalization of the roadmap.

The platform attracted participation across government ministries, academia, Non-governmental and civil society organisations; and private sector.

 

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) and Disaster Risk Management (DRM) partners on Thursday 13th October,2022 commemorated the 2022 International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) at Gosheni Primary School ground in Dedza district.

The day was globally commemorated under the theme ‘Early warning Early Action for All;’ offering an opportunity to reflect on the successes and challenges encountered during implementation of DRM programmes and policies in the country.

Speaking during the ceremony, guest of honour at the event, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of water and sanitation, Elias Chimulambe said this year’s theme is sending out a message that weather, climate and water extremes are becoming more frequent and intense hence the need to inform the communities to act.

“We all know what happens when there is an occurrence of disasters in our midst. As such, it is of paramount importance to celebrate this day and warn each other. It is up to all of us as Government, stakeholders and the citizenly to put in place various strategies of early warning and action,” said Chimulambe.

He said that the Department of Climate Change and Metrological Services (DCCMS) have released a seasonal forecast and that stakeholders and other ministries are working hard to make sure that systems are in place to issue warnings on possible signs of disasters.

He called on communities to desist from vandalizing early warning gadgets in all sites where they were installed saying this may hinder government’s efforts in saving lives of people.

“May I call upon leaders and relevant partners to hold sensitization meetings on the equipment so that people are aware of the gadgets,” he said.

In his speech, Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs; Charies Kalemba thanked all stakeholders for their cordial partnership in DRM and urged for continued support.

“Our mandate as DoDMA is to coordinate the implementation of DRM programmes in the country and make sure that all stakeholders play their part so that we can save lives and property. The issue we are discussing today is early warning, as such there is need for us to prepare now without leaving anyone behind,” said Kalemba.

He said the department will soon start drenching the rivers in the lower shire as one way of preparedness so that the areas are not prone to flooding as it has been in the previous years.

He said the decision to drench the rivers was reached upon after observing that most of the flooding happens because there is no water carriage way.

“We are working with the ministry of water and sanitation so that we drench the rivers soon before rains start,” he said.

On her part, Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) Director of programs, Prisca Chisala said this year’s theme and the commemoration had come at the right time when the country is to face normal to above normal rains as it was last year which may trigger the occurrence of floods.

Chisala said there is need for stakeholders and government to really emphasize on the need for people to take responsibility on how they respond to warnings DCCMS and other stakeholders issue.

“We have started on a very good note engaging communities and stressing that it is their responsibility to act on early warning messages and we hope that the response towards that will be positive as compared to last year,” said Chisala.

She said MRCS will continue supporting government in making a contribution towards the national resilient strategy which mainly focuses on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

She called upon other actors to invest more in early warning and action and other preparedness activities to help save lives and property.

 

On Thursday, 13th October, 2022, Malawi commemorated the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) at Gosheni Primary School Ground, T/A Kachindamoto, Dedza District; under the theme “Early Warning and Early Action for All.”

The IDDR is commemorated every year in October as one way of raising awareness on efforts being made to build resilience of communities and nations to disasters.

The commemoration, which started with a solidarity walk from Gosheni Market to the venue; was presided over by the Secretary for Water and Sanitation; Elias Chimulambe.

This year’s IDDR was preceded by a panel discussion held on Tuesday, 11th October, at Crossroads Hotel; Lilongwe and aired live on MBC Radio 2 and Zodiak Radio. Pictures highlight activities marking the 2022 IDDR commemoration.

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) in partnership with various disaster risk management (DRM) stakeholders, would like to inform the general public that the 2022 International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) will be commemorated on Thursday, 13th October, 2022 at Gosheni Primary School Ground, Traditional Authority Kachindamoto in Dedza District, from 08:00 A.M.
The international theme for this year’s IDDR is “Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030,” with the summarised theme focusing on “Early warning and early action for all,” in recognition of the role the government and DRM stakeholders play in the implementation and sustainability of multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS).
The commemoration will focus on reducing the number of people affected by disasters, to ensure that early warnings are received, well understood and acted upon by the intended audience with the goal of continuing to advocate for the implementation and improvement of MHEWS; nationwide.
This year’s commemorations will be preceded by a panel discussion which will focus on efforts and strides being made to enhance early warning and early action amongst the most vulnerable communities and the nation as a whole. The panel discussion will be held from 6.30 PM to 8:30 PM, on Tuesday, 11th October, 2022 at the Crossroads Hotel, Lilongwe; and will be aired live on MBC Radio 2 and Zodiak Radio.
Some of the activities marking the commemoration of the 2022 IDDR will include delivery of speeches, poem recitals, comedy and a solidarity walk which will start from Thukuliza Village near Gosheni Market; to the venue.
DoDMA is, therefore; inviting Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Civil Society Organisations, Faith Based Organisations, UN Agencies, Donor Community, Private Sector, Academia, communities, the Media and the general public to the commemoration.
For more information, please contact the Public Relations Officer; Mr. Chipiliro Khamula; on 0999 043 228, E-mail; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
DISATER RISK REDUCTION IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY!!!
Issued in Lilongwe on the 7th Day of October, 2022
Charles Kalemba
COMMISSIONER FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT AFFAIRS

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has called on councils in the country to fully prepare for the 2022/2023 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme (LS-FIRP).

The programme is expected to commence in November 2022 to March 2023 and will provide food assistance to 3.8 million in 27 districts and four cities as projected by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report.

Speaking in Blantyre on Wednesday when he opened the meeting with councils in the southern region, Director of Response and Recovery, Rev Moses Chimpepo said the meeting was organised to share with councils DoDMA’s planned events in undertaking the exercise.

Chimphepo said it was important that the department meets with councils to deliberate on the developed national food insecurity response plan that will help mobilize and effectively coordinate the humanitarian assistance for the food insecure households and the nitty gritty of the programme.

“This meeting has among others, emphasized on the need for stakeholders including district councils and the local development and civil protection committees to abide by the humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality as well as transparency and accountability in the implementation of the exercise.

“There is need for councils to work with speed and be thorough in household targeting, registration and verification to avoid chaos and ensure smooth and successful implementation of the programme,” said Chimphepo.

He said the discussions will also provide good feedback that will enrich DoDMA’s planning and implementation arrangements,” said Chimphepo.

He urged councils to stick to time frames for the roadmaps so that there are no delays adding that the department has asked for prepositioning sites which he hoped that all councils will submit in time.

He said: “Just a reminder to all councils and responsible officers that there will be need for plausible utilization of funds that will be disbursed to councils and financial reporting and liquidation of funds,” said Chimphepo.

Speaking on behalf of all councils, Director of Planning and Development (DPD)for Zomba District Council, Precious Katsitsi commended the department for the interface meetings saying they will help them in their preparations.

Katsitsi said the interface meetings have given them energy to be on their toes and promised that councils will take heed of everything shared and deliver accordingly.

He said that there were a lot of issues such as verifying names of beneficiaries drawn from the Unified Beneficiary Registry (UBR) just to make sure that only those households deserving the assistance are the ones benefitting.

“The lean season programme is one of the biggest exercises councils undertake every year. Our performance last year was remarkable. We are very hopeful that this year we will do better than last year,” said Katsitsi.

He thanked the department for the unwavering support rendered to councils from time to time aimed at making sure that councils are delivering.

Government will lead the coordination and implementation of the response programme through DoDMA and the district councils.

In closing, Chimphepo also urged the councils to plan and put in place measures to address the foreseeable impacts of disasters that might be experienced during the season.

The response programme will be implemented through two modalities namely; cash transfers and in- kind maize distribution. The cash transfers have been currently pegged at MK25,000.00 per household; per month; while households targeted under maize distribution would be reached out to with a 50kg bag per month.

Same meetings have been conducted in the central and northern regions.

In the photo, a beneficially of the 2021/22 LS-FIRP takes a rest after arriving from a maize distribution point in Salima District.

 

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) says the newly installed automated hydrological monitoring stations will greatly assist in obtaining timely and accurate data for improved dissemination of flood warnings.
Speaking in Salima on Wednesday during an inspection and testing of the installed gadgets, Director of Water Resources Dr. Modesta Kanjaye said the system will monitor and collect the river water level in order to generate early warning when levels rise beyond a certain threshold.
Kanjaye said the gadgets will assist the department to provide timely, reliable and actionable flood warning information to the vulnerable communities living in the downstream low-lying areas frequented by flooding.
“The system will give us real time hydrological data that will quickly help us to make decisions as soon as water levels rise. Since it is also connected to other systems, the system will also assist other departments such as the Department of Disaster Management Affairs and other stakeholders; to disseminate the flood warning alerts and make informed decisions based on the data collected from the system,” said Kanjaye.
She said that government’s priority is to enhance adaptation and mitigation measures through a number of initiatives for flood disaster risk reduction such as intensifying coverage of the hydrological and meteorological observational systems and scaling-up the use of modernized climate information and early warning system.
She said: “Investing in installation of automated data collection equipment will greatly assist the department in water monitoring and collection of accurate data. The new system is reliable since it doesn’t require physical visits to the stations as we can monitor the status of battery, airtime and water level from the web portal.
“Previously, flood early warning systems were insufficient to provide the most vulnerable communities with timely and actionable flood warning information that could help them make decisions that reduce disaster risks and losses.”
In an interview, one of the community members in Nkhatabay, Eletina Sinkala from Timbiri Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Timbiri said they are hopeful that the gadgets will help the communities to stay away from the water bodies even before they flood.
Sinkala said communities will no longer be worried of safety of their lives and property especially in the rainy season knowing that should the river flood, the gadget will send the message for them to free or secure their property and livestock.
“Almost every year, most vulnerable members of the communities suffer losses due to floods. This has been always as a result of lack of information. We hope that our lives will now be safer especially for us who live in the downstream,” said Sinkala.
Kanjaye added that apart from saving lives, the system will also improve the economy of the country especially those trapped in a poverty-vulnerability cycle due to preventable floods that affect them every year; saying the development will create opportunities for social economic growth.
DWR has embarked on installation of automated gadgets in twenty-two newly constructed Data Collection Platforms (DCP) in ten districts namely Lilongwe, Kasungu, Salima, Nkhotakota, Nkhatabay, Mzimba, Karonga, Chitipa, Mangochi and Zomba.
The automated hydrological monitoring stations are being installed under the M-CLIMES project funded by the Green Climate Fund through UNDP and aims at scaling-up the use of modernized early warning systems and climate information in the country.
The gadgets have been designed to periodically monitor river water levels through its pressure sensors and transmit the measurements to the data logger placed in the DCP house along the river bank, which will then send the water level to a remote server in the Control Room at the DWR Headquarters through a cellular data connection.
“After processing the measurements received, the server then proceeds to display the data on the web portal called Hydro-centre. The relay of the signal is done through an available cellular network compatible with 2G/3G/4G signals that are adequate for data transmissions,” said Kanjaye.

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