Flood
The maps below illustrate flood-related risks at national and district levels, categorised by colour-coded zoning for easy interpretation:
(a) Flood Risk – Indicates the likelihood of flooding, with areas classified as low, moderate, or high risk. These maps help identify district that may require flood management or preventive measures.
(b) Flood Impact – Shows the potential consequences of flooding, with areas classified as low, moderate, or high impact. High impact areas may experience loss of life, damage to livelihoods, public health challenges, transportation disruptions, or economic losses.
(c) Social Vulnerability – Represents the sensitivity of different districts to flood events, reflecting the capacity of communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from floods.
Information about the data analysis and the methodology can be found in the methodology documentation.
(a) Flood Risk – Indicates the likelihood of flooding, with areas classified as low, moderate, or high risk. These maps help identify district that may require flood management or preventive measures.
(b) Flood Impact – Shows the potential consequences of flooding, with areas classified as low, moderate, or high impact. High impact areas may experience loss of life, damage to livelihoods, public health challenges, transportation disruptions, or economic losses.
(c) Social Vulnerability – Represents the sensitivity of different districts to flood events, reflecting the capacity of communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from floods.
Information about the data analysis and the methodology can be found in the methodology documentation.
Normalized flood risk index in Malawi. Source: Flood Risk Assessment adopted using ERA 5 data
Flood Vulnerability by District
Climate challenges vary by location. Explore region-specific adaptation strategies tailored to local environmental, economic, and social contexts to build resilience effectively.
Balaka District
Balaka District exhibits moderate to high flood risk (a) and vulnerability (c), with most of the district at a moderate level and the northern part at high (a); There is a moderate level of flood impact throughout the district (c).
Chikwawa District
Chikwawa District has a low to high level of flood vulnerability with much of the district – particularly in the low-lying and flat Lower Shire River Valley which flows from the north-west to the south-east and extends across the central and southern part of the district – classified as highly vulnerable (c).
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Moderate to very high flood risk throughout the district, with most of the area – particularly the southern part- at the very high level of risk (a);
Low to moderate flood impact throughout the district, with most of the area at moderate level of impact (b).
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Moderate to very high flood risk throughout the district, with most of the area – particularly the southern part- at the very high level of risk (a);
Low to moderate flood impact throughout the district, with most of the area at moderate level of impact (b).
Dedza District
Dedza District has a moderate to high level of flood vulnerability, with some border areas classified as highly vulnerable to flooding (c).
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Moderate to high flood risk throughout the district, with most of the area at moderate level of risk (a);
Low to high flood impact throughout the district, with most of the area at moderate level of impact (b).
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Moderate to high flood risk throughout the district, with most of the area at moderate level of risk (a);
Low to high flood impact throughout the district, with most of the area at moderate level of impact (b).
Karonga District
Karonga District has a low to high level of flood vulnerability, with most of the area classified as lowly vulnerable to flooding (c).
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Low to moderate flood risk throughout the district, with most of the area at low level of risk (a);
Low to high flood impact throughout the district, with most of the area at low level of impact (b).
Flooding in Karonga District can be of a pluvial (flash flooding from heavy downpours, especially in low-lying towns with poor drainage such as Karonga), fluvial (rivers overbanking, especially the North Rukuru) or lacustrine (overflow from Lake Malawi, which borders the long eastern boundary of the district) in nature.
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Low to moderate flood risk throughout the district, with most of the area at low level of risk (a);
Low to high flood impact throughout the district, with most of the area at low level of impact (b).
Flooding in Karonga District can be of a pluvial (flash flooding from heavy downpours, especially in low-lying towns with poor drainage such as Karonga), fluvial (rivers overbanking, especially the North Rukuru) or lacustrine (overflow from Lake Malawi, which borders the long eastern boundary of the district) in nature.
Kasungu District
Kasungu District has a low to moderate level of flood vulnerability, with most of the area classified as moderately vulnerable to flooding (c).
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Low to moderate flood risk, with most of the area at moderate level of risk (a);
Low to moderate flood impact throughout the district (b).
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Low to moderate flood risk, with most of the area at moderate level of risk (a);
Low to moderate flood impact throughout the district (b).
Phalombe District
Phalombe District displays a moderate to high level of flood vulnerability, with most of the district classified as highly vulnerable to flooding (c). An area of particular vulnerability in this district is around the southern shore of endorheic (no outflow) Lake Chilwa in the north of the district and along the River Phalombe that flows south to north through the district from the Mulanje Massif, then feeds into the lake
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Moderate flood risk throughout the district (a);
Low to high flood impact throughout the district, with most of the district at a high level of impact (b).
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Moderate flood risk throughout the district (a);
Low to high flood impact throughout the district, with most of the district at a high level of impact (b).
Rumphi District
Rumphi District has a very low to moderate level of flood vulnerability, with most of the area classified as lowly vulnerable (c). This is largely due to the mountainous nature of the topography in Rumphi District with very high run-off into streams such as the South Rukuru and Lake Malawi. Due to the abundance of steep slopes, landslides are a particular hazard in this district
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Very low to moderate flood risk throughout the district, with most of the area at low level of risk (a);
Very low to moderate flood impact throughout the district, with most of the area at very low level of impact (b).
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Very low to moderate flood risk throughout the district, with most of the area at low level of risk (a);
Very low to moderate flood impact throughout the district, with most of the area at very low level of impact (b).
Salima District
Salima District has a low to high level of flood vulnerability, with most of the area classified as moderately vulnerable (c).
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Very low to very high flood risk throughout the district, with most of the area at moderate level of risk (a);
Very low to high flood impact throughout the district, with most of the area at moderate level of impact (b).
The areas of the district most vulnerable and with greatest impact are along the banks of the River Linthipe which drains the Linthipe Basin, flowing from West to East through the district flowing out into Lake Malawi at Salima town. Flooding is heightened by large sedimentary deposits close to the outflow into the lake which cause fast-flowing water from inland parts of the basin to back up and overflow.
This level of vulnerability is associated with:
Very low to very high flood risk throughout the district, with most of the area at moderate level of risk (a);
Very low to high flood impact throughout the district, with most of the area at moderate level of impact (b).
The areas of the district most vulnerable and with greatest impact are along the banks of the River Linthipe which drains the Linthipe Basin, flowing from West to East through the district flowing out into Lake Malawi at Salima town. Flooding is heightened by large sedimentary deposits close to the outflow into the lake which cause fast-flowing water from inland parts of the basin to back up and overflow.
