Over 20 homeless households in Mangochi still living at a camp on flood prone areas

* Ahead of an increased level of 475.22 metres above the sea level in Lake Malawi, which is higher by 22m

* There are many houses that are waterlogged in these areas which are still inhabitable

* While owners of those whose waters have dried up, had no choice but to relocate to their homes

By Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express & Bishop Witmos, MANA

Ahead of the forecasted increase of water levels along the shores of Lake Malawi and Shire River in the coming 2024/25 hydrological (rainfall) year from December 1, 2024, there are still still living at a camp in Mangochi, whose homes were destroyed due to high water levels of the Shire experienced in last hydrological season.

The rising levels of waters both in Lake Malawi and Shire River left 810 households homeless in Mangochi as their houses got submerged into waters.

Currently, over 20 homeless households are still living at a camp from flood prone areas of Mapira, Mwanyama, Kalonga and Ngalamu, where National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) took a group of journalists to to appreciate the gravity of ignoring to calls not to construct in wetlands where the Lake and the Shire are reclaiming their space.

There are many houses that are waterlogged in these areas which are still inhabitable while owners of those whose waters have dried up, had no choice but to relocate to their homes.

NWRA has appealed to all the communities that were affected to relocate to safer places as it is anticipated that water in the two water bodies will rise more in the coming hydrological year.

NWRA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engineer Dwight Kambuku expressed concern over some of the residents who have relocated back in the flood-prone areas, describing the relocation as a disaster in waiting.

“The Department of Climate Change and Metrological Services has predicted that the country will receive more rainfall due to La Niña [weather phenomenon],” he said. “We expect to have an increased level of 475.22 metres above the sea level [masl] in Lake Malawi, which is 22 centimetres higher than that of last year, and the situation will be worse.

“As such we encourage residents to relocate to safer places because if they hesitate, we should expect the same bad scenario as it was the case in last hydrological year.”

In his remarks, CEO for Mangochi Municipal Council, Ernest Kazokoya said the situation in the flood-prone areas of Lake Malawi and Shire River remains serious though some people were settling back.

“It is just unfortunate that some people are still moving back to such low-lying areas,” he said, while asking all those who would like to construct houses to consult the Council for better places to build.

In a press statement that was issued on August 31, 2024, NRWA alerted people living along the shores of Lake Malawi and Shire River to be prepared for increased water levels from December 1, 2024, saying as at August 26, 2024, the levels were 475.70 masl.

The levels were 475.28 masl on the same dates last year — representing an increase of 42cm higher while the highest recorded level this year was 476.38 masl, that was attained from April 21-25, 2024.

From April 26, NRWA reported that the levels had been going down, hence the current level 475.77 masl. The Lake Malawi levels this year are the recorded second highest to the 1989 levels which reached 477.22 masl since 1900.

The increase had been attributed to increased rains in the Northern Region of Malawi as well as the Tanzanian side which are the main catchment of Lake Malawi.

Last year on the same December 1, the lake level was 475 masl and this entails that the lake level by December 2024 will be 22cm higher than the previous year.

“It is therefore very likely that in the 2024/25 hydrological year, the water levels of Lake Malawi will increase even higher than what was experienced this season,” said NWRA in the press statement. “This would be exacerbated by the La Niña climatic prediction that the country would experience in the 2024/25 rainfall year.”

From last year, Malawi experienced El Niño climate phenomenon that emerges from variations in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean.

The warming phase of the sea surface temperature is known as El Niño while the cooling phase is La Niña, as according to National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

La Niña (Spanish for Little Girl) has the opposite effect of El Niño ad during La Niña events, trade winds are even stronger than usual, pushing more warm water toward Asia and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration indicates that during a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the South and cooler than normal in the North. La Niña can also lead to a severe hurricane season.

The Authority, which is mandated by Malawi’s Water Resources Act (2016) to regulate, manage, conserve, use, develop and control water resources in Malawi informed the public that Lake Malawi’s level increase has been accelerated by the previous year’s adequate stored water in the lakes which resulted in some infrastructure being submerged in water along the lake.

And in response to the increased lake levels, NRWA increased the water release at Kamuzu Barrage at Liwonde to 1,000m3/s — which is very high against the normal of 350m3/s and at this release, some of the infrastructure downstream the barrage also got affected.

When the Lake Malawi water levels increased, many people who constructed on the lakeshore and Shire River banks were ill-informed that NRWA had closed the Kamuzu Barrage — to which the Authority clarified at that time that it increased the water release at the barrage.

NRWA emphasises that it is empowered to gather and maintain information on water resources and from time to time publish forecasts, projections and information on water resources (Water Resources Act, section 10 part 1-h).

Thus in line with the mandate, the authority publicises the state of Lake Malawi and further reiterates that it is against the law to carry out any activity like construction or cultivation below 477 masl contour line along Lake Malawi.

“Any would-be developer along the shores of Lake Malawi should consult NWRA for technical guidance on the matter,” says the Authority while assuring the general public and all stakeholders that it will continue to sustainably manage, protect and monitor the Lake Malawi-Shire River system “to its best for the socio-economic benefit of the country”.

It further pledges to continue updating the public of the state of water levels of Lake Malawi “for their informed decision making”.

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.