Malawi braces for El Niño as officials urge coordinated action

Government disaster agency calls on partners to commit to concrete preparedness measures ahead of expected dry conditions.

Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has called on stakeholders to identify practical steps to protect vulnerable communities as the country prepares for the likely return of El Niño weather conditions.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement meeting in Lilongwe on Wednesday, DoDMA Commissioner Wilson Moleni stressed that early action was critical.

“Preparedness is strongest when it is informed by timely early warning information, anchored in coordinated planning and backed by concrete commitments,” he said.

Moleni warned that decisions taken now would be pivotal in protecting lives, easing the burden of disaster response and supporting Malawi’s long-term development goals under its Malawi 2063 national agenda.

Warmer Pacific signals trouble ahead
Director of Meteorological Services Lucy Mtilatila confirmed that El Niño conditions were already developing in the eastern Pacific, bringing warmer ocean temperatures that typically reduce rainfall across southern Africa.

“When it is warmer there, there is a likelihood of having below-normal rainfall during the next rainfall season,” she said, urging stakeholders to await the official Seasonal Rainfall Forecast for a fuller picture.

Malawi is no stranger to El Niño’s devastation. The 2023/24 rainfall season brought prolonged dry spells, localised flooding, reduced agricultural output, water stress and heightened humanitarian need across the country.