National Disaster Risk Management Policy
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Date
2015-01-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Malawi Government
Abstract
Malawi faces a number of disasters, both natural and human-made which include floods,
drought, stormy rains, strong winds, hailstorms, landslides, earthquakes, pest infestations,
diseases outbreaks, fire and accidents. The intensity and frequency of disasters has been
increasing, in light of climate change, population growth, urbanisation and environmental
degradation. Disasters disrupt people’s livelihoods, endanger human and food security,
damage infrastructure and hinder socio-economic growth and development. Disasters also
increase the poverty of rural and urban households and erode the ability of the national
economy to invest in key social sectors which are important to reducing poverty. It is, therefore,
important to address disaster risks for the socio-economic development of the country.
Disaster risk management, together with social support, is considered within theme three
“Social Support and Disaster Risk Management” of the Malawi Growth and Development
Strategy II (MGDS II); a national development strategy that ensures that resources are
targeted towards priority areas thereby contributing to the attainment of sustainable
development.
The development of the National Disaster Risk Management (NDRM) Policy is a major step
towards achieving sustainable development through ensuring that disaster risk management
is integrated in development planning by all sectors in the country. The policy will also facilitate
the effective coordination of disaster risk management programmes in the country. It highlights
a set of key priority areas and strategies for making Malawi a nation resilient to disasters. It
also provides a common direction to all government, non-governmental organisations, private
sector organizations, media and development partners at national and local levels on how to
effectively implement disaster risk management programmes and activities.
I commend all stakeholders for their commitment in the development of this policy. This policy
calls upon all sectors and stakeholders to pursue a proactive and integrated way of reducing
risks to hazards through sustainable, innovative and realistic strategies with strong
partnerships and networks. The government is committed to ensure implementation of the
policy so as to significantly reduce the social, economic and environmental impacts of
disasters in the country. It is, therefore, my sincere hope that all stakeholders in the country
will align their activities towards this policy in order to ensure that resilience to disasters is built
at national, local and community levels.