Discriminatory land use planning and flood risk management in Karonga Town, Malawi

Abstract

This study examines how discriminatory land use planning predisposes the low income residents to flood disaster risks in Karonga town, Malawi. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten government and non government institutions engaged in land use planning and disaster risk management and traditional leaders. The study showed that theoretical aims of land use planning to improve the living environment remain partial and in certain cases exacerbate risks posed by floods because the planning tool divides the urban landscape into formal and informal spaces. Such separation which coincided with incomes levels forced the marginalised and urban poor to occupy flood-prone areas While literature on flood control promotes an integrated approach to flood risk management, land use planning practice is singled out as a regulatory measure which ironically not only fails to meet the needs, but also increases vulnerability to flood risks, of the urban poor residents. The study further revealed that land use planning has failed to reduce flood disaster risks in informal spaces because it is not compatible with the needs of the urban poor.

The correlation between social resilience and flooding in low-income communities: a case of Mzuzu City, Malawi

“…It is also reported by UNESCO (2019) that 676 flood disasters caused $6.3bn worth of damage across Africa between 2001 and 2018. In many African cities, discriminatory land use planning has forced many poor people to live in densely populated flood plains, predisposing them to flood hazards (Jha et al , 2011; Gondwe et al , 2017; Hammond et al , 2015).…”