Drought
The maps below illustrate drought-related conditions at national and district levels, categorised by colour-coded levels for easy interpretation:(a) Likelihood of drought – Indicates the probability of drought occurrence, with areas classified as occasional, probable, or frequent. These maps help identify districts that may require drought preparedness measures and strengthened early warning systems.
(b) Impact of drought – Shows the potential consequences of drought events, with areas classified as low, moderate, or significant impact. High impact areas may experience reduced agricultural productivity, water scarcity, food insecurity, livelihood disruptions, and economic losses.
(c) Risk of drought – Represents the overall level of drought risk by combining likelihood and impact, with areas classified from moderate to extremely high risk. These maps highlight priority areas for intervention, planning, and resource allocation.
Information about the data analysis and the methodology can be found in the DCCMS website.
(b) Impact of drought – Shows the potential consequences of drought events, with areas classified as low, moderate, or significant impact. High impact areas may experience reduced agricultural productivity, water scarcity, food insecurity, livelihood disruptions, and economic losses.
(c) Risk of drought – Represents the overall level of drought risk by combining likelihood and impact, with areas classified from moderate to extremely high risk. These maps highlight priority areas for intervention, planning, and resource allocation.
Information about the data analysis and the methodology can be found in the DCCMS website.
Drought by District
Chikwawa District
Chikwawa District presents a moderate to high drought vulnerability profile, with several Traditional Authorities (TAs) classified among the most exposed. The spatial distribution highlights clusters of high likelihood in specific TAs, while other areas remain moderately exposed.
This vulnerability profile is driven by:
– Frequent drought occurrence in TA Lundu, Makhuwira, and Ngabu, with probable occurrence in Lengwe National Park, STA Ndakwera, TA Maseya, and STA Ngokwe, and occasional occurrence elsewhere, indicating heterogeneous exposure across the district (a);
– Consistently significant impacts across all TAs, suggesting that drought events result in substantial and widespread consequences regardless of location (b);
– Extremely high drought risk concentrated in key TAs (Maseya, Lundu, Makhuwira, Ngabu, Ngokwe, and Ndakwera), while the remaining areas experience moderate risk levels, highlighting priority hotspots for intervention (c).
👉 Implication for decision-makers:
Drought risk in Chikwawa is spatially differentiated, with high-risk clusters requiring targeted interventions, particularly in the most exposed TAs. At the same time, the uniformly significant impacts call for district-wide resilience measures, including water resource management, climate-smart agriculture, and early warning systems.
This vulnerability profile is driven by:
– Frequent drought occurrence in TA Lundu, Makhuwira, and Ngabu, with probable occurrence in Lengwe National Park, STA Ndakwera, TA Maseya, and STA Ngokwe, and occasional occurrence elsewhere, indicating heterogeneous exposure across the district (a);
– Consistently significant impacts across all TAs, suggesting that drought events result in substantial and widespread consequences regardless of location (b);
– Extremely high drought risk concentrated in key TAs (Maseya, Lundu, Makhuwira, Ngabu, Ngokwe, and Ndakwera), while the remaining areas experience moderate risk levels, highlighting priority hotspots for intervention (c).
👉 Implication for decision-makers:
Drought risk in Chikwawa is spatially differentiated, with high-risk clusters requiring targeted interventions, particularly in the most exposed TAs. At the same time, the uniformly significant impacts call for district-wide resilience measures, including water resource management, climate-smart agriculture, and early warning systems.
Phalombe District
Phalombe District faces a systemic and district-wide high drought vulnerability, with all areas classified as highly vulnerable (c). The spatial distribution shows higher drought likelihood in the western part of the district, consistent with observed dry spell patterns.
This vulnerability is driven by:
– Moderate to frequent drought occurrence, with western and southern areas experiencing the highest exposure (a);
– Consistently significant impacts across the entire district, indicating that all communities are affected regardless of location (b);
– Extremely high overall drought risk, reflecting the combination of widespread exposure and strong impacts (c).
👉 Implication for decision-makers:
Drought represents a chronic and systemic risk, requiring district-wide resilience strategies (e.g., water management, climate-smart agriculture), while prioritizing western areas as entry points for intervention.
This vulnerability is driven by:
– Moderate to frequent drought occurrence, with western and southern areas experiencing the highest exposure (a);
– Consistently significant impacts across the entire district, indicating that all communities are affected regardless of location (b);
– Extremely high overall drought risk, reflecting the combination of widespread exposure and strong impacts (c).
👉 Implication for decision-makers:
Drought represents a chronic and systemic risk, requiring district-wide resilience strategies (e.g., water management, climate-smart agriculture), while prioritizing western areas as entry points for intervention.
