Comparison with Chikwawa District, Malawi
Chikwawa faces recurrent floods and droughts, intensified by climate change through erratic rainfall and extreme weather. The Lower Shire Valley is most affected due to its low-lying geography. Smallholder farmers and fishing communities are disproportionately impacted because they depend on climate-sensitive livelihoods and have limited adaptive capacity.
Local coping strategies include riverbank reinforcement with vetiver grass, flood-recession (dimba) farming and community-based early warning systems. Government departments, NGOs, and humanitarian agencies support communities through climate-smart agriculture, disaster preparedness and social protection programs. Similar to the Philippines, ecosystem-based approaches in Chikwawa show strong potential to reduce vulnerability while strengthening resilience and livelihoods.