Malawi receives UK funding ahead of forecast El Niño season

The UK has committed approximately $3 million (about K5.3 billion) to support Malawi’s response and preparedness for a forecast severe El Niño event during the 2026/27 rainfall season.

British Deputy High Commissioner Ben Nicholson said the funding would support efforts to translate climate forecasts into early action, helping communities and the agricultural sector prepare for anticipated dry conditions.

“So the UK is working this year with approximately over three million US dollars so far in preparedness and anticipatory action, working with communities to mitigate and prepare for some of the impacts that we expect to see in El Niño,” he said.

Nicholson made the announcement in Lilongwe on Wednesday at the fifth National Climate Outlook Forum (Nacof-5) and an Impact-Based Forecasting workshop held under the WISER ActionFirst programme.

He said the UK was working closely with the Malawi government, the UK Met Office and the Wiser climate programme to strengthen forecasting capacity and ensure climate information is translated into practical, actionable interventions on the ground.

The support includes bringing climate information directly to communities, working with government and agribusinesses, promoting drought-resistant crop varieties, and monitoring market prices to anticipate possible changes in maize availability.

In her opening remarks, Minister of Natural Resources Patricia Wiskes said government is treating the El Niño forecast as an opportunity to prepare, rather than as a prediction of disaster.

“A forecast such as this one is not a prophecy of hardship; it is an invitation to act early, act together and act smart,” she said.

The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has forecast a drier and more erratic 2026/27 rainfall season, particularly across southern and central Malawi, where communities are likely to experience below-normal rainfall, delayed onset and prolonged dry spells.