A multi hazard perspective in flood and drought vulnerability: Case study of malawi

Abstract

The prominence of vulnerability assessments cannot be over emphasized. They are key in informing policy by supporting holistic, multi-disciplinary and evidence based policy im-plementation. They foster delineation of locales and sectors requiring resources and inter-ventions. About 90% of the population in Malawi and most of sub-Saharan Africa rely on rain fed agriculture. Due to this overreliance, people’s livelihoods and economy are vulner-able to hydrological hazards such as flood and droughts, which account for 70% of all the hazards in the region. This paper employs indicators to couple exposure, susceptibility, capacity measures and economic, social, physical and environmental components to measure multiple hazard vulnerability. It then utilizes the Community Based Disaster Risk Index in the analysis. Results show that Karonga is an area of medium and high multi hazard vulner-ability. The lead contributor to this vulnerability is susceptibility, which manifests itself as high and very high, with predominance in the high levels. Exposure manifests on the lower end of vulnerability spectrum. Lack of capacity is predominantly medium. Socio economic and environmental aspects underlie this susceptibility. Reducing vulnerability in these economies will demand radical programs that target infrastructural investment, socio-economic empowerment, environmental management and strengthening of institutional ca-pacity.