Understanding the nature and scale of risks in Karonga, Malawi

Abstract

The urban centre of Karonga in Malawi experiences many large and small disasters, including earthquakes, strong winds and floods. Inhabitants also face such everyday risks as unsafe water, poor-quality sanitation and widespread use of dirty fuels within households. However, the nature and scale of the risks are poorly understood. Based on data from 380 systematically selected households in Karonga, this paper explores the frequency and impacts of small and large disasters and everyday risks, finding informal settlements in flood zones to be most affected. Impacts vary according to differences in levels of income, planning and housing status, access to water, sanitation and the type of energy used by households. Attempts to reduce and respond to disaster risk are affected by weak governance structures. The knowledge can create the basis for capacity building at both the community and local government levels.

Using Citizen Science Approach to monitor water, sanitation and hygiene Related Risks in Karonga Town, Malawi

“…As stagnant water pools become breeding sites for mosquitoes malaria was prevalent (23.42 %) in the study area ( Figure 5). It is worth noting that the WASH related risks contribute to everyday risks that lead to premature deaths among the majority of residents in the town.Similar observations were also made by Manda and Wanda (2017), who reported that inadequate provision for WASH services is one of the everyday risks impacting on the population, especially those from low income areas of the town. Manda and Wanda (2017) also observed that the majority of the population in Karonga Town lived in flood-prone areas, specifically along rivers, where flooding was annual.…”

“…Nevertheless, some waterborne diseases such as cholera (18.68%), diarrhea (6.05%) and dysentery (6.58%) were reported to be Wanda et al Figure 5). Occurrence of such diseases was largely attributed to use and consumption of contaminated water by the affected members of the community in Karonga Town (Manda and Wanda, 2017). …”

Towards Risk-Sensitive and Transformative Urban Development in Sub Saharan Africa

“…Everyday risks such as poor quality and inadequate sanitation and unsafe water also pose significant threats for inhabitants [23]. However, the nature and scale of risks in Karonga remains poorly understood and knowledge of vulnerabilities to disaster risks remain low [24]. This is partly attributable to the lack of political attention and finance towards the development and governance of small, but often rapidly growing towns throughout Malawi and indeed other sSA contexts more broadly [22].…”

“…However, the policy has some notable weaknesses that are limiting effective implementation. For instance, Malawi's urban areas are not specifically addressed despite the increasing trend of urban disasters such as flooding and resource allocation to lower governance scales being highly inadequate [24]. Furthermore, the disaster management structures included in the Disaster Risk Management Policy exist largely only on paper with limited capacity and practical knowledge for addressing risks and risk accumulation.…”

“…Despite these opportunities, mainstreaming DRR for various hazards and a transition towards risk sensitive development remains a significant challenge in Karonga due to multiple interacting factors including the absence of a functional urban local government, inadequate financing, inherent failures to plan and regulate growth and silo-based approaches [24]. Karonga's rapid growth adds urgency to resolve these and other challenges that are limiting risk reduction and transformative development.…”