This document summarizes a flood mitigation project in Chikwawa, Malawi led by Eagles Relief and Development Programme. Flooding in the area has worsened in recent years, destroying crops, livestock, property and sometimes claiming lives. The project aims to reduce flooding through river rehabilitation, reforestation, and improved land management. Initial efforts from 2003-2005 in 5 villages had success with storm drains and woodlots. In response to major 2005/2006 floods, the project expanded to 14 villages and took a multi-sectoral approach involving advocacy, community mobilization, and forming a government task force. Achievements include community initiatives like dyke construction, dams, and re-routing the river, as well as

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EAGLES RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, LIVING WATERS CHURCH
INTERNATIONAL
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION - CHIKWAWA
1.0 PROJECT NAME: FLOOD MITIGATION
1.1. Introduction
One of the Tearfund partners in Malawi is working in a flood and drought prone district known as
Chikwawa. The district lies in the Great African Rift valley floor, in which passes the Shire river, the
country’s sole outlet of Lake Malawi. It is therefore a very low-lying area. For the past three years,
flooding has worsened in many areas in Chikwawa, including one area where Eagles is working called
Mthumba. The flooding is mostly as a result of rivers overflowing their banks into crop fields and
village settlements due to siltation of the rivers and streams, and lack of vegetative cover, destroyed by
large-scale deforestation and degradation of the land, including cultivation along river banks and on
river beds, during off-rain seasons. The results have always been catastrophic: crops, livestock and
property destroyed, even loss of human life and large-scale soil erosion. For instance towards the end
of the year 2005, and the beginning of 2006, Mitole E.P.A[1] which encompasses Mthumba area,
floods devastated an estimated 1,495 hectares of land, affecting 52 villages and 4,706 farming families.
1.2. Background and Project Rationale
Eagles Relief and Development program started implementing a Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness
project in Mthumba in 2003, which aimed at addressing underlying causes of food insecurity. One
major cause of food insecurity in the area according to the communities was flooding. Besides the
damage in terms of loss of crops, soil, property etc, floods would also disturb schoolchildren at a
primary school in the areas because water would accumulate in school blocks and pupils could not use
the classrooms. The risk to water borne diseases was also prevalent.
Initial Response to the Flooding Problem – [2004 to 2005]
From 2003, Eagles with its communities started some small-scale flood mitigation work. 5 villages were
involved, namely Fombe, Nedi, Chikalumpha, Santana and Kanthema. Considerable results were
achieved from the measures, viz:
Nedi village storm drain reduced the water flow through the village, protecting people, their
houses and the Community Based Child Care Centre[CBCCC].
Chikalumpha village’s wood lot slowed down the water that swept through and forced it down
the drains and away from the people, houses and fields behind.
Santana village’s earthen flood dike helped protect their crop fields from damage, to a very
considerable degree.

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Picture on the left : 2004 - before the construction of the storm drain in Nedi village. Water would flood right
into the village, increasing the risk of water borne diseases and damage to houses. Picture on the right: 2005 –
after the storm drain was constructed later in 2004, a lot of flooding waters were directed away from the village
and the community was greatly relieved. The authorities of a nearby primary school were also relieved that for
the first time their classrooms were not flooded.
All the four photos above show the same place in Chikalupmpha village where villagers decided to establish a
woodlot, as they knew it was vulnerable to flooding. 1
st
picture shows the woodlot in 2003, soon after 1,200 trees
were planted, with some committee members inspecting tree performance. 2
nd
picture shows the trees that have
grown considerably, later in 2003. 3rd Picture shows the small trees highly stressed out and almost washed by
severe flood waters in January 2004. 4th picture shows same place in December 2005, with evidence of serious
flooding that almost developed into a river. This time the trees ably contained the floods, held their ground and
prevented houses, fields, livestock and people behind the woodlot from literally being washed away during the nights
of 24
th
and 25
th
December 2005.
The impact of Storm drain at Nedi Village:
The impact of Chikalumpha woodlot/mini-forest:
2.0 Project Objectives/Aims
The goal, purpose and objectives of the flood mitigation project are as follows:
Goal : To contribute towards improved food security and livelihood in targeted flood prone areas of
Chikwawa.

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Purpose
Reduction of flooding of Mthumba river through rehabilitation of the river course and reafforestation of
catchment area.
Immediate objectives
o To rehabilitate Mthumba River Course
o To promote sustainable management of forestry resources along Mthumba river bank and upland
areas.
o To promote improved land and crop husbandry practices
o To ensure effective and appropriate measures and interventions are developed, enforced and
implemented by all relevant stakeholders in the district
o To promote improved livestock husbandry practices
3.0 Project Interventions and Activities
When larger scale flooding occurred in 2005/ 2006, with greater impact than the previous years, it became
clear that flood mitigation interventions needed scaling up. The initial work in flood mitigation left out 11
villages, which were not in Eagles original impact area, which happen to be part of the Mthumba River and
had contributed towards the flooding problem they were experiencing. These villages needed to be
involved to increase the level of the impact of flood mitigation. Eagles realised that there was also need for
a multisectoral approach to the flooding problem since the impact of floods was holistic. In summary, the
new plan included the following strategies, approachess and activities:
• Advocacy:
o For a multi-sectoral and concerted action against flooding involving the District Assembly and
all key Government departments.
o With communities to enact the bye law, that prohibits farmers from planting within 20m of
rivers/streams.
o For provision of resources such as seeds for replanting, grasses and trees for planting.
Government departments, Illovo Sugar Company were to be approached for resources such as
trees, and vertivar grass.
o For the review/development of disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response
plans at District level.
• Networking:
o Improve networking; especially join the Civil Protection Committee of the District Assembly
that was mandated to look into disaster-related issues including disaster response.
• Community mobilization:
o Sensitise traditional and church leaders to take responsibility for flood mitigation in their areas.
o Together with local and government leaders, mobilise affected communities to analyse and
appreciate the root causes of flooding in their areas, take responsibility for mitigation and
develop appropriate action plans.
o Review together with all stakeholders, previous flood mitigation efforts, what worked and what
did not i.e. (dikes, storm drains, tree and grass planting)

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Stakeholders from Govt. depts. and other DEC
members, including community members, share
observations after surveying Mthumba river and
the extent of flooding in the area.
Group Headman Fombe, and other local chiefs assisted by
task force members sensitise affected communities at
Fombe village on the issues of flooding, the need to take
responsibility and to be proactive.
4.0 Achievements to date:
• Advocacy:
From March 2006, Eagles held advocacy
meetings with the Government District Assembly
and the District Executive Committee [DEC].
Three meetings were held and one field visit
conducted for DEC members leading to the
formation of a special multi-sectoral task force to
work with Eagles in flood mitigation work of
Mthumba area. The task force is under the
District Civil Protection Committee [CPC], which
is responsible for the organization and
coordination of disaster preparedness and
response in the district.
• Community sensitization and mobilization
Eagles mobilised communities, together with task
force members, to discuss what the communities
felt were the underlying causes of flooding.
Elderly community members explained how the
river used to flow before trees and grass were cut along the river. Communities explained that
careless cutting of trees along the river bank and cultivation of the river banks were responsible for the
diversion of the river and thereby causing flooding.
• Community Initiatives
The following activities and interventions and were carried out by local leaders and communities:
o Community sensitization
meetings by local chiefs in 14
villages on flood mitigation,
causes of flooding and
possible interventions.
o Community action planning.
o Community trainings in tree
nursery raising and land
husbandry practices
o Construction of dykes and
using sand bags to strengthen
the dykes
o Digging of water speed
control dams; 6 dams were
dug. Eagles contracted a civil
engineer to assess the
construction work and make
recommendations on the
construction work.
o Digging of a trench to divert river to its original course. Eagles hired an excavator to speed
up the excavation redirecting water to its original course and strengthening the dykes
before the rains

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[Left]: Chikwawa Forestry Extension Agent, Mr. Joseph Maganga, trains villagers the right way of sowing
tree seeds.[Right]: Some committee members of Jacob Village inspect tender tree seedlings at their tree
nursery, raised after receiving training in tree nursery establishment.
• Task force activities
The task force comprises the following departments and agencies: Roads, Agriculture, Water, Forestry,
Lands, Community, Health and Information departments; CADECOM[ Catholic Development
Commission of the Roman Catholic Church], Local Living Waters Church, two Traditional Authorities
and a group village man.
o The task force conducted two field trips to survey the affected areas and come up with a
wayforward
o The task force also developed its own roles
and responsibilities
o The task force developed a strategy and
action plan for flood mitigation work, both
in the short-term and long-term.
o The task force has met at least 10 times
since its formation in June 2006, to review
progress and strategise. It was during one of
these meetings that the idea of engaging an
excavator to supplement community efforts
in river redirection and dyke formation at
Pende village came up. Pende village was on
the verge of being washed away by floods
during the current rainy season if Mthumba river, which had diverted towards the village
in…. was not redirected back to its original course.
o Training of communities in natural resource management, nursery raising, tree planting and
forestry management
o Provision of expertise and supervision of community flood mitigation initiatives.
Some members of the multi-sectoral task
force on flood mitigation inspecting one of
the 6 river water speed control dams dug
along the Mthumba river.

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Impact of flood mitigation work to date
o Flooding of the river into crop fields and village settlements has been significantly reduced.
Lives, property, land, crops, and livestock have been saved from being washed away in
some villages. A good case in point is Pende village which was in the direct path of part of
Mthumba river, because of a diversion. Water is flowing back in a 400 meter long trench in
the original river course after a successful excavation and dyke construction
o Communities have realized their potential and confidence to deal with flooding of
Mthumba river.
o People have gained knowledge and skills as to how to solve flooding problem. Skills and
knowledge include : raising and planting 15,000 tree seedlings. Eagles Relief supplemented
with an additional 30,000 seedlings.
o People’s attitude change and taking responsibility to solving their own problems/. They
realised that cultivation along the river banks/on river beds, wanton cutting of trees along
[Left]: An excavator at work helping in dyke formation and redirecting a river course away from Pende Village.
[Right]: Villagers from Pende village reinforce dyke with sand bags.
Original river course restored: [Left] -Village Headman Santana with great relief pointing to direction of
Mthumba river course redirected away from Pende Village.
Tree planting on and behind the dyke: [2
nd
Picture] - An old woman committed to bringing back the good old
days when trees and other forms of vegetative cover were abundant in the area; she plants her own tree albeit
with difficulties, as she joins everyone else in tree planting behind and on top of the dyke.
[3
rd
Picture] - Leading by example: group village headman Fombe assists Traditional Authority Kasisi to plant
a tree as part of the rehabilitation exercise of the Mthumba river course. [4
th
Picture] – A Member of Parliament
for the area Honourable Gobede joined the community in tree planting at the dyke site; in the picture
Honourable Gobede completes planting his tree, assisted by a Forestry Extension Agent.

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the river bank has generated the flooding problem. They now, likewise, realize that they
are responsible for the rehabilitation of the river banks and environment.
o Reduced school calendar disturbance due to floods.
o Reduced water borne diseases.
o Access to food through food for work program. A total of 1,568 households benefited.
5.0 Issues and Challenges
o Since a lot of tree seedlings still have to be raised in dry months, watering will be a challenge
during the dry season
o There is need to enforce by laws concerning livestock so as to protect trees that have just been
planted . Normally, soon after harvest, livestock are left free to graze and may damage the
newly planted trees.
o Slow decision – making process by virtue of working with the task force, which cannot meet as
easily due to numbers of people involved.
6.0 Lessons Learnt and recommendations
o Networking and collaboration with influential government authorities as well as traditional
leaders is very important in the management of disasters. They are a big key in community
mobilization. Their involvement ensure continuation of and support for the work even after
the phase out of the project.
o The process of participatory analysis of disaster risk, is very important. In this project, old
members of the community were able to explain during PADR, how the river had changed its
course over the years and why it had done so. Through this analysis, communities drew
solutions to their problems and implemented the project.

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ANNEXES:
MAP OF SOUTHERN REGION OF MALAWI SHOWING CHIKWAWA AND OTHER
DISTRICTS, INCLUDING PART OF THE GREAT AFRICAN RIFT VALLEY AND THE SHIRE
RIVER: