US government-funded program BuckEye successfully maps 99% of Malawi

* The experts used advanced aircraft, equipped with state of the art geospatial surveying technology

* The imagery the BuckEye program compiled will be passed on in its entirety to DoDMA

* For use in areas such as hazard assessment, improving early warning systems, optimizing resource management and informing recovery planning

By Elia Chibwe, MANA

A US-funded programme, Army Geospatial Center high resolution 3 dimensional (HR3D), also known as BuckEye in Malawi — which deployed a Beech King Air B350 to Lilongwe in May this year — has successfully mapped 99% of the country.

US government Lead for the HR3D programme, Jason Steers announced this yesterday in Lilongwe at a press briefing, saying they have successfully mapped the country by providing detailed information instrumental for disaster risk management, infrastructure modernisation and agricultural development, among other strategic initiatives.

“This advanced aircraft, equipped with state of the art geospatial surveying technology, marks a significant step forward in our collaborative efforts to enhance disaster management capabilities in Malawi,” Steers said.

“The high level of detail provided by the mapping significantly enhances shared understanding of the terrain through digital imaging which enables improved decision making for time sensitive response and large scale projects.”

He added that this collective approach underscores their dedication in supporting sustainable development and improving well-being of communities throughout Africa.

Charge D’Affairs at the US Embassy in Malawi, Amy Diaz said advanced geospatial mapping has a transformative role in enhancing disaster preparedness and supporting MW2063 development goals.

“The imagery the BuckEye program compiled during their time in Malawi will be passed on in its entirety to the Department of Disaster & Management Affairs (DoDMA) for use in areas such as hazard assessment, improving early warning systems, optimizing resource management and informing recovery planning,” Diaz said.

She also said the data for disaster preparedness management will be a lifeline that will enable the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and communities to anticipate, mitigate and respond effectively to disasters.

Present at the event held at Kamuzu International Airport, was DoDMA’s Commissioner, Charles Kalemba who confirmed that the initiative of geospatial data collection is crucial for effective disaster preparedness, humanitarian support and identification of suitable infrastructure.

He added that live disaster monitoring system will assist them in making decisions on how to access hard to reach areas: “Live disaster monitoring is important because during Cyclone Freddy, we had a situation where by we could not go to Phalombe and Mulanje, but if you have a system that is able to show you what is happening in Phalombe you are able to make decisions.

“You can even be able to decide which other routes to take because you are able to see the whole area that is under disaster,” he said, adding that the geospatial data would support the new law which was enacted in 2023 to displace people living in disaster prone areas.

“With the new law, we can actually reason why we need the data and if somebody challenges us in the court, we will defend ourselves.”

Kalemba said the geospatial data being collected collaboratively with American experts will also assist civil engineers in designing and building infrastructures at proper locations as well as assist farmers to practice proper cultivation.

He added that the department was previously lacking data to assist them in mapping the country’s topography and this prompted them to request this initiative from US government.

“We operationalised the new law and it requires that we do hazard map which helps in mapping the country in terms of risk areas, so we know how to locate places of high risk or not, regarding people living there.

“Now you cannot make these decisions without data. So we had requested the US Embassy to assist us and be able to map the country so that we are able to know the topography and geophysical setup of the country,” Kalemba said.

He said US government invested US$1 million to implement the initiative and Diaz emphasised that the US government is committed to assisting Malawi by contributing advanced technical data and emergency response capacity.

The American experts, under the BuckEye program, launched the project to collect geospatial data through their Beech King Air B350 aircraft which was deployed in May this year and Kalemba the data will be presented to the public in August.—Editing by Maravi Express