National Disaster Recovery Framework: Malawi. Volume I

The floods experienced by Malawi in early 2015 were unprecedented. The impact was far-reaching, affecting 1.1 million people and 17 districts, and killing 106 people, while 172 people were declared missing. The floods indirectly affected many more through secondary effects such as power outages, lack of clean water and market access, and disruption of health and education services. Following the floods, the Government of Malawi, through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), and with technical and financial support from the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN) and the World Bank (WB), conducted a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). The PDNA estimated damage and losses at US$335 million and it estimated the cost of recovery, and reconstruction needs at US$494 million.

To operationalize the key finding of the PDNA, the GoM initiated processes to develop a National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), with technical support from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), UN, and the WB, and financing by an Africa Caribbean Pacific - European Union (ACP-EU) grant.

The NDRF is an extension of the PDNA, which translates recovery and reconstruction needs into prioritised recovery interventions across sectors and districts. The NDRF defines mechanisms for monitoring and management, clarifies institutional roles and responsibilities, and optimises recovery investments across short-term humanitarian needs and medium to long-term reconstruction, taking into account the principles of building-back-better and resilience.

The NDRF is a living document and a tool of managing efficient and effective recovery and reconstruction. The NDRF will need to be regularly updated to reflect shifting priorities and needs.