* The situation is likely to recede after the rainfall season and assume the El Niño phenomenon will not proceed to the next rainfall season
* In 1980, it reached the maximum water level of 477 meters above sea level (masl) and the same also concurred around 1800s
By Duncan Mlanjira
Rising water levels in Lake Malawi, which has displaced over 500 and 119 households in Nkhotakota and Mangochi respectively — including affecting the hospitality business — is due to high rainfall occurrence in the northern catchment of Lake Malawi, both in Malawi and Tanzania.
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This has been said by surface water expert, Engineer Solomon Kalima when we contacted him to explain when the water levels are expected to recede.
This follows pictures and video clips being shared on social media, depicting some hospitality facilities having water onto their doorsteps.
Engineer Kalima said: “As you are aware, we are experiencing the El Niño phenomenon, which means above normal rainfall in the northern part of Malawi and below normal rainfall in some parts of Central Region and the whole Southern Region.
“The situation is likely to recede after the rainfall season and assume the El Niño phenomenon will not proceed to the next rainfall season.”
He further said the Lake Malawi has experienced this situation before especially in 1980 when it reached “the maximum water level of 477 meters above sea level (masl) and the same also concurred around 1800s”.
Engineer Solomon Kalima
“This is natural phenomenon which shows that it occurs every time we have consecutive high rainfall years in the Lake Malawi catchment, especially in Tanzania.”
Some other experts and observers maintain that in some parts of the lakeshore, people illegally constructed their house structures mostly in wetlands and that the Lake is just reclaiming its space.
Engineer Kalima seems to agree as he further told Maravi Express that the government “put into law that nobody should settle and cultivate below the 477 masl along Lake Malawi to avoid loss of lives and property”.
“Nevertheless, since 1980 the water levels receded until in 2012 when the Lake levels started picking up slowly by slowly but increased exponentially due to occurrence of back-to-back cyclones [Idai, Ana, Gombe, Freddy] with high intensity rainfall in Lake Malawi catchment.
“In addition, this situation has nothing to do with Kamuzu Barrage because the barrage is just to regulate downstream water releases to meet water demand for hydropower plants, irrigation and water supply among others.
“It does control the lake within margins of 2m to which with the current water level of 476.3 masl it cannot do anything. In this regard, flooding of Lake Malawi can only be declared if the water level goes above 477 masl because this is the limit for the buffer zone for the lake.”
Following an appeal from concerned people from Mangochi, asking the government to consider increasing the volume of water which passes through Kamuzu Barrage as it is believed to contribute to high water levels, Commissioner for Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), Charles Kalemba assured people that it is closely monitoring water level situation in Lake Malawi and Shire River through Kamuzu Barrage amid the heavy downpour in recent days.
A report by Malawi News Agency (MANA) says Kalemba had an interface meeting with stakeholders on Friday after an inspection tour of the barrage and assured that the barrage is managed to control water flow which affects upper stream of Shire River, lakeshore areas and downstream areas of Nsanje and Chikwawa.
Kalemba refuted claims that the barrage is sometimes closed or reduces its capacity to control water flow, saying: “The barrage operates using an automatic software which is computer based.
“So, when water levels change, the machines detect and sounds an alarm. It is not true that the barrage is sometimes closed.”
Mangochi concerned citizens chairperson, Councillor Wellington Mangulenje, while commending government for timely addressing their concerns, appealed for collective efforts in conserving the environment to minimise devastating effects of climate change.
Currently, water levels in Lake Malawi and Shire River are said to be at 476.3mm which is slightly below the 477mm highest recorded water levels.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretaries in the ministries of Lands, Local Government, Natural Resources, Water, representatives from DoDMA, District Commissioners for Mangochi and Machinga, Mangochi concerned grouping as well as district council officials, among others.
As the El Niño weather phenomenon continues, Chikwawa District Council experienced some flash floods that affected communities of Traditional Authorities Ngabu and Lundu and the dead being an eight-year-old girl, a 55-year-old man and a woman whose age has not been established.
MANA quoted disaster risk management officer for Chikwawa, Charity Machika as saying the most affected villages include Group Village Heads Malemia, Mphamba, Nkhwangwa, Mchenga, Nsomo and Chabuka.
Other affected villages are Chabuka 1 & 2, Moses, Sandiiwale, Jimu, Pinakuwa and Nsona from the rains began on Thursday, resulting in two fatalities and two injuries.—Reporting on the Barrage update for MANA by Mervin Namikungulu
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