Lufilya River Morphology and Flood Risk Assessment for Strengthening Anticipatory Action Framework in Malawi

Flooding, exacerbated by river morphology affects many communities in the surrounding river systems of Malawi. Yet, there is a lack of understanding of the contribution of river morphological changes to strengthen anticipatory action, aimed at mitigating flood risks, improving knowledge and enhancing capacity of actors and institutions to implement evidenced-based proactive strategies in river flood risk management. A river morphology study was conducted in Lufilya river of Karonga District in Malawi to: (1) determine the river processes and associated flood risks in the watershed, (2) evaluate the response of the river to past flood control efforts and other river management activities, and (3) assess the alternative flood control measures that could effectively reduce flood risks and vulnerabilities. This study applied a community-based participatory assessment approach using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings show that flood risks in the surrounding communities are largely triggered by the heterogeneity of Lufilya river channel. This study established that the river morphological adjustments contribute to the reduction of agricultural land of about 0.3868km ² , lowering food production to people who largely depend on farming as a source of livelihoods. The results also show that human occupancy and social behaviour (i.e. settlement location and cultural myths), compounded by existing gaps in transformational, incremental and coping strategies have affected both past and alternative efforts of flood control mechanisms. The study concludes that the dynamic nature of the Lufilya River reflects ongoing morphological adjustments to climate change and human activities. It is therefore significant that stakeholder concerned with anticipatory action targeting flood hazards and its triggers, should ensure a proper management of Lufilya river catchment, including establishing integrated flood risk management measures to reduce risk and vulnerability.