- Malawi
Flood vulnerability assessment (FVA) informs the disaster risk reduction and preparedness process in both rural and urban areas. However, many floods vulnerable regions like Malawi still lack FVA supporting frameworks in all phases... more
Flood vulnerability assessment (FVA) informs the disaster risk reduction and preparedness process in both rural and urban areas. However, many floods vulnerable regions like Malawi still lack FVA supporting frameworks in all phases (pre-trans-post disaster). Partly, this is attributed to lack of the evidence-based studies to inform the processes. This study was therefore aimed at assessing households’ flood vulnerability (HFV) in rural and urban areas of Malawi, using case studies of Mtandire Ward in Lilongwe City (LC) and Traditional Authority (T/A) Kilupula of Karonga District (KD). A household survey was used to collect data from a sample of 545 households’ participants. Vulnerability was explored through a combination of underlying vulnerability factors (UVFs)-physical-social-economic-environmental and cultural with vulnerability components (VCs)-exposure-susceptibility and resilience. The UVFs and VCs were agglomerated using binomial multiple logit regression model. Variance in...
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Fluoride is one of the priority chemicals being monitored under the sustainable development goal target for drinking water. Excessive ingestion of fluoride in concentrations higher than 1.5 mg/L may cause dental, skeletal and neurological... more
Fluoride is one of the priority chemicals being monitored under the sustainable development goal target for drinking water. Excessive ingestion of fluoride in concentrations higher than 1.5 mg/L may cause dental, skeletal and neurological disorders. The study assessed community awareness of dental fluorosis as a health risk associated with fluoride contamination in groundwater sources in Mangochi district. Water samples from 82 water points were tested for fluoride and concentrations between 0.2 and 27.2 mg/L were detected, with a mean value of 3.7 mg/L and a median value of 3.1 mg/L. Nine water points registered fluoride concentrations above 6 mg/L, which is Malawi standard value for fluoride in boreholes and shallow wells. Prevalence rate for dental fluorosis among children in the study was at 82.7%. However, 100% of the children's parents displayed low or no awareness of dental fluorosis as a health risk associated with fluoride contamination in drinking water. The study reco...
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Purpose Floods are among the most frequent urban disasters in cities of the global south where capacity and resource limitations collude with rapid urbanization to force many poor people to live in flood prone settlements. This paper... more
Purpose Floods are among the most frequent urban disasters in cities of the global south where capacity and resource limitations collude with rapid urbanization to force many poor people to live in flood prone settlements. This paper investigated the impact of flood disasters on social resilience of low-income communities in Mzuzu City, Malawi. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative design, 345 households were interviewed in Zolozolo West and Mzilawaingwe Wards in Mzuzu City. The survey instrument achieved a 100% response rate. A reliability test using Cronbach’s alpha showed internal consistency of survey instrument at 0.711 for Zolozolo West Ward and 0.730 for Mzilawaingwe Ward. Findings Out of the eleven indicators of social resilience used in this study, six indicators showed no correlation with the outcome expectancy of social resilience. Of the five indicators that showed relationship with social resilience, only improvisation and inventiveness (rs = 0.356, p = 0.000...
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Through the lens of a number of construction and infrastructure projects, this paper focuses on the governance and decision making of urban development in Karonga town. The purpose is to understand why and how decisions about site and... more
Through the lens of a number of construction and infrastructure projects, this paper focuses on the governance and decision making of urban development in Karonga town. The purpose is to understand why and how decisions about site and building technology are made and how these influence everyday risks and episodic disaster events. The research looks at informal and formal mechanisms of land management, regulatory control and municipal finance to understand the opportunities and constraints of these in a small town setting
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This study examines how discriminatory land use planning predisposes the low income residents to flood disaster risks in Karonga town, Malawi. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten government and... more
This study examines how discriminatory land use planning predisposes the low income residents to flood disaster risks in Karonga town, Malawi. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten government and non government institutions engaged in land use planning and disaster risk management and traditional leaders. The study showed that theoretical aims of land use planning to improve the living environment remain partial and in certain cases exacerbate risks posed by floods because the planning tool divides the urban landscape into formal and informal spaces. Such separation which coincided with incomes levels forced the marginalised and urban poor to occupy flood-prone areas While literature on flood control promotes an integrated approach to flood risk management, land use planning practice is singled out as a regulatory measure which ironically not only fails to meet the needs, but also increases vulnerability to flood risks, of the urban poor re...
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With the devolution initiatives in the past two decades, there is a growing recognition of the role of grassroots organisations, individually or in alliance with urban, national governments or NGOs, in addressing urban related problems.... more
With the devolution initiatives in the past two decades, there is a growing recognition of the role of grassroots organisations, individually or in alliance with urban, national governments or NGOs, in addressing urban related problems. In poor countries where resources are limited governments see the resources generated through grassroots organisations federating and networking as a necessary relief for speedy implementation of development strategies. Evidence of achievements from several countries suggests that grassroots organisations have potential, when given space and external support (from city and national governments, NGOs, international organisations, professionals, politicians), to contribute to urban development. However, the experience in Malawi suggests that despite the high potential to bring about urban change at scale effectively and efficiently, various problems (including loan defaults, undemocratic tendencies, limits of land and funds, government paternalism) sta...
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The growth of slums in Malawi is largely attributed to failure by the urban poor to access land for housing. This paper outlines the background to the establishment of a federation of the urban poor in Malawi in 2003, which was formed... more
The growth of slums in Malawi is largely attributed to failure by the urban poor to access land for housing. This paper outlines the background to the establishment of a federation of the urban poor in Malawi in 2003, which was formed with the support of a local NGO, the CCODE. The aim was to access land for housing and to build decent houses through savings groups. The paper also describes the operation of the Mchenga Fund for housing, and its progress and challenges over its four years of existence. It is noted that organizations of the urban poor have the potential, when given space, and state and external support, to contribute significantly not only to housing development but also to improving the lives of slum dwellers.
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This study examines how discriminatory land use planning predisposes the low income residents to flood disaster risks in Karonga town, Malawi. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten government and... more
This study examines how discriminatory land use planning predisposes the low income residents to flood disaster risks in Karonga town, Malawi. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten government and non government institutions engaged in land use planning and disaster risk management and traditional leaders. The study showed that theoretical aims of land use planning to improve the living environment remain partial and in certain cases exacerbate risks posed by floods because the planning tool divides the urban landscape into formal and informal spaces. Such separation which coincided with incomes levels forced the marginalised and urban poor to occupy flood-prone areas While literature on flood control promotes an integrated approach to flood risk management, land use planning practice is singled out as a regulatory measure which ironically not only fails to meet the needs, but also increases vulnerability to flood risks, of the urban poor re...
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Research Interests: Human Geography and Area
Risk-sensitive urban development is required to reduce accumulated risk and to better consider risk when planning new developments. To deliver a sustainable city for all requires a more frank and comprehensive focus on procedure: On who... more
Risk-sensitive urban development is required to reduce accumulated risk and to better consider risk when planning new developments. To deliver a sustainable city for all requires a more frank and comprehensive focus on procedure: On who makes decisions, under which frameworks, based upon what kind of data or knowledge, and with what degree and direction of accountability? Acting on these procedural questions is the promise of transformative urban development. This paper explores the status of risk sensitive and transformative urban development and the scope for transition towards these components of sustainability in urban sub-Saharan Africa through the lens of diverse city cases: Karonga (Malawi), Ibadan (Nigeria), Niamey (Niger) and Nairobi (Kenya). The paper draws from a 3-year research and capacity building programme called Urban Africa: Risk Knowledge that aims to address gaps in data, understandings and capacity to break cycles of risk accumulation. A common analytical framewo...
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The paper discusses the results of the tracer study of the 2011 to 2015 Land Management graduates at Mzuzu University (Mzuni). The purpose of the study was to evaluate how the land management programme has contributed to job creation to... more
The paper discusses the results of the tracer study of the 2011 to 2015 Land Management graduates at Mzuzu University (Mzuni). The purpose of the study was to evaluate how the land management programme has contributed to job creation to respond to the staffing shortages in the land sector in Malawi. A questionnaire was used to interview 39 graduates and 7 employers both identified using the snow ball technique. The findings suggest that the majority of the graduates secured employment within two years of leaving Mzuni and that the government was the largest employing institution. However, many of these graduates only returned to positions they held before going to the university to upgrade their qualification. In addition, although the number of graduates was minimal, some remained unemployed despite the many vacancies in the sector. The paper proposes regulating recruitment into the programme.