Take Action to Avoid Calamities, Caritas Malawi Cautions amid Extreme Weather Forecast

DCCMS also predicted pockets of drought in some parts of the country.  

In their October 14 statement, CADECOM officials advise Malawians inhabiting vulnerable places “to relocate from flood prone areas to uplands to avoid loss of property and lives if floods occur.”

They also call upon the people of God in the Southern African nation to ensure their houses are surrounded by good drainage “to ease the flow of storm water runoff.” 

Parents and guardians have also been urged to “strictly advise their children on weather related threats and keep them company through dangerous rivers, which constantly experience flooding throughout the rainy season.”

Officials of the development arm of the Catholic Bishops in Malawi also urge the citizens to consider storing food reserves in uplands areas. 

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For those dwelling in areas prone to dry spells, CADECOM officials advice that they consider cultivating “early maturing crop varieties and crops that are drought tolerant such as cassava, millet, sweet potatoes and sorghum.” 

They also urge farmers to use organic manure “as it retains moisture that results in better crop tolerance to drought.” 

Farmers need to “cultivate in both lowlands and uplands to spread the risk of damage,” CADECOM officials recommend.  

The National Road Authority and Councils need to “ensure that all drainage systems on roads and other infrastructure are not blocked to avoid flash floods in settlement areas,” they appeal, and urge Malawians to “pay attention to daily weather updates to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from weather related threats.”

In the October 14 statement, members of CADECOM offer other long-term measures that can go a long way in preventing extreme weather and disasters. 

The people of God in Malawi need to conserve the environment through re-afforestation, promote natural forest regeneration, and use of truncheons to reduce rain water runoff, officials of the entity of the Catholic Bishops in Malawi say.

National and Diocesan offices in Malawi need to “invest on trees as part of a long-term sustainability plan,” they add. 

CADECOM officials also recommend that Malawians “normalize practicing conservation agriculture and use of new technologies in crop production to maximize food security in times of extreme weather conditions.”

Citizens of the Southern African nation need to “desist from wanton cutting down of trees which reduces vegetative cover,” they further appeal, and advocate for the use of energy saving technologies in the country.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.