S* Stories of Impact A series highlighting achievements in disaster risk management Identifying Risks and Guiding Recovery Efforts in Malawi REGION: AFRICA In January 2015, Malawi experienced some of the most FOCUS: RISK REDUCTION, devastating flooding in its history. In the aftermath, the RESILIENT RECOVERY Government of Malawi conducted a post-disaster needs COUNTRY: MALAWI *assessment (PDNA), with support from the European Union (EU), the Global FacilitD for Disaster Reduction and Recover (GFDRR), the United Nations (UN), and the World Bank. Armed with the assessment's GNndings, which RESULTS: estimated damage and loss from the January flooding Strengthened the GFDRR-supported open at approximately $335 million and recover and source Malawi Spatial Data Platform (MASDAP reconstruction needs at approximatel $494 million, GeoNode by adding additional datasets, in partnership with Malawi's Department of Disaster teGvrmn fMlw snwpeaigarcvr Management Affairs and other government framework to help prioritize and implement recovery and departments. Data from this GeoNode was used reconstruction investments, with support from the EU, during the 2015 flood recovery efforts and to GFDRR, the UN, and the World Bank. Funding has been estimate the disaster's impact on poverty. provided for both the PNA and the recovera framework *Improved risk information through community through the Africa Caribbean Pacific-European Union mapping exercises, including mapping nearlyNaulDistrRkRecioPogm(A -E 450 residential areas and collecting more than 15,000 waypoints in Nsanje alone. NDRR), an initiative of the ACP Group of States, funded IFollowing the severe January 2015 flooding, a th mos GFDRR-supported post-disaster assessment helped inform $80 million in World Bank financing to help restore agricultural livelihoods, teaemhh reconstruct critical public infrastructure, oMlwcdud enhance food security, and improve disaster ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program response and recovery capacity. An [nGtFDRe of the AfUican, Carbbean and Pactfic Group, funded by the European Un,on and managed by GFDRR CONTEXT: Malawi frequently suffers from heavy rains and storms that result in flash floods, which devastates livelihoods and set back development gains. GFDRR has supported the country to identify and mitigate disaster risk, including flooding hazards. In January 2015, Malawi experienced some of the most devastating flooding to ever hit the country, with the government declaring a state of disaster in 17 out of 28 districts, primarily in the southern region. Assessments project the flooding could impact GDP growth, as well as the potential for up to 21% more people driven into poverty. APPROACH: Aiming to identify disaster risks and strengthen disaster risk management efforts in Malawi, in 2014, GFDRR worked with Malawi's Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) and other partners to strengthen the MASDAP GeoNode by adding additional datasets. GFDRR also facilitated local community mapping activities in Nsanje and Chikwawa. Missing map data was collected to identify at-risk infrastructure and other assets for future flood preparedness and response. This data was uploaded onto OpenStreetMap and made available on the GeoNode to inform disaster preparedness efforts. To operotionolize the findings ond After the January 2015 flooding disaster, DoDMA conducted a recommendations of the post-disaster needs comprehensive assessment of damage, loss, and recovery needs, ossessment, the government is oligning recovery with support from GFDRR. Following on the PDNA's findings, the plonning ond implementotion processes through government is now preparing a recovery framework, which: the development of o coordinoted Recovery * Draws on the model and methodology in the Disaster Fromework." Recovery Framework guide, prepared in partnership by the - Saulos Klaus Chilima, Vice President, Malawi EU, UN, and the World Bank, with support from GFDRR: * Serves as a single recovery planning platform; * Prioritizes short, medium, and longer-term recovery LESSONS LEARNEO: investments; and * Aligns donor contributions and other partner programs with Coordinating national, district, and local priorities is financial needs. essential for effective recovery. Following a disaster situation, it can be difficult to coordinate recovery NEXT STEPS: across nationa, district, and ocal levels. To prevent Malawi s recovery framework has become the focal point of this, the DoDMA convened a series of workshops, the Government of Malawi's multi-sectoral recovery planning with support from GFDRR and the World Dank, and implementation efforts. The framework will be launched in October 2015, and with continued GFDRR participation, a robust monitoring and evaluation system will be established to track funding priorities tar a 17 Hood-affected districts. and update recovery priorities. Upon completion, the recovery framework will serve to prioritize interventions, steer investments Identifying risks prior to a disaster can speed up toward financial gaps, and inform the governments recovery recovery efforts. Recognizing how open data and budget allocations. In addition, the World Bank, with GFDRR support, will continue to implement the four-year Malawi Floods cunit m a exers can re ucaw Emergency Recovery Project, which was informed by the PDNA. the open source MASDAP GeoNode in 2012. These efforts paid off when the data from this GeoNode, Contact strengthened in 2014. was used during the Shaela Rahman governments 2015 Hood recovery. srahman@worldbank.org www.gfdrr.org