By Kondwani Magombo

Lilongwe, February 28, Mana: As Tropical Cyclone Freddy raged and caused massive loss of lives and property in the southern region in March 2023, fear gripped the people from villages around Likangala River in Zomba.

According to Chairperson for Disaster Risk Management Committee (DRMC) for Likangala Ward, Gasten Mwepesa, it was by grace that no deaths were recorded in the ward during the disaster.

However, there were several injuries and loss of property that were recorded due to collapsing houses as the river broke its banks, causing record floods downstream.

“The Cyclone Freddy destroyed houses and property, affecting over 1,300 families, who were taken to an evacuation Centre for shelter and humanitarian support,” explains the DRMC chair, adding: “We’ve had flash floods before but the 2023 were the worst, in years.”

The statement that Cyclone Freddy left to the people of Likangala Ward was clear and too bold to ignore: dressing the banks of Likangala River with vegetative cover would mitigate further occurrences of flash floods in future.

So, when the DRMC leadership, with guidance from the wards councilor, Munira Abdullah Bakali, thought of taking advantage of the 2023/2024 tree planting season to do the task, mobilizing members of the community was like preaching to church's praise and worship team.

“We saw it with our own eyes: We'd never seen Likangala River that hostile,” explains Catherine M’manga, a resident of Chiluphya Village, Likangala Ward. “So we'll do anything to ensure that in future, such floods no longer pose a threat to our lives.”

Thus, the DRMC and the members of the community in Likangala Ward have risen to the occasion and they are planting indigenous and exotic trees on the banks of Likangala River from Mpondabwino Trading Centre, going all the way downstream.

The Department of Disaster Management (DoDMA), officials from Zomba City Council, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) are among other players partnering the DRMC and members of the community in the task.

One notable thing in this tree planting exercise is the participation of all age groups of the community i.e. the youth, men and women, a spirit the DRMC chair attributes to the leadership of the ward.

“Our councilor, Munira Abdullah Bakali, always encourages us to work together with all stakeholders, including the youth, and we are very grateful that our community always rises to such occasions,” explains Mwepesa.

What is happening in Likangala Ward is just one of the interventions that DRMCs in Zomba City are doing to reduce or avoid the potential losses from hazards.

Elsewhere in Chinamwali Ward, the DRMC there is also working tirelessly, sensitizing people who have built their houses high on the slopes of Chinamwali Mountain, and those who have built in the paths of water bodies to, voluntarily, relocate.

Councilor Bakali, who is also the Vice Mayor of Zomba City, notes how risks associated with disasters affect lives, livelihood, and health in the city, impacting the economic, physical, cultural and environmental well-being of individuals, in the process.

The Vice Mayor applauds the job by the city's DRMCs and she pledges continued efforts to ensure that citizens are protected from further risks of disaster, where possible.

“Communities in Zomba City and the DRMC are trying hard to disseminate the message to the residents with actions on the ground,” explains Bakali.

She adds: “These efforts are remarkable since preparing for disasters saves countless lives, speeds up people's recovery and saves money.”

DoDMA, too, finds the risk reduction efforts a spirit worth emulating, noting that, mostly, disasters that Malawi has been experiencing are aggravated by lack of vegetative cover in prone areas.

“In the case of Freddy, mudslides caused inexplicable devastation due to the fact that there was no vegetative cover to reduce their impact,” observes DoDMA spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula.

He adds: “The planting of trees and reforestation around Likangala River is a ray of hope for better and safer places. We are looking forward to having the efforts replicated across the country under various Village DRMCs.”