Generating evidence on climate risks to WASH and strengthening capacity for resilience monitoring in Malawi
Local partners: District Council of Thyolo, Self Help Africa
The Government of Malawi has identified drought, flooding and tropical cyclones as the top risks to the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector. The district of Thyolo in southern Malawi is particularly exposed to climate-related extreme events that result in losses to life, infrastructure and services. Between 2018 and 2023, Thyolo was hit by 3 deadly cyclones – Idai in 2019, Gombe in 2022 and Freddy in 2023 – that damaged water and sanitation infrastructure worth millions of dollars.
The University of Bristol working with Self Help Africa and the Thyolo District Council to undertake a risk assessment of water and sanitation services in communities, schools and healthcare facilities in Thyolo district of Malawi. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of the likely challenges to water and sanitation services from climate change in Thyolo and to strengthen their resilience.
This project aligns with Self Help Africa’s program activities in Thyolo, specifically those aiming to professionalise rural water supply, upgrade boreholes in disaster prone areas, expand community-led total sanitation (CLTS) and improve service delivery through a systems strengthening approach. It also aims to support the Thyolo District Council’s plans to promote safe and resilient services in the district strengthen disaster preparedness.
The specific objectives of this project are:
- Pilot a climate risk assessment approach for the water and sanitation services in a sample of households, schools and healthcare facilities in Thyolo
- Determine the costs of inaction and potential benefits of actions to improve resilience in water and sanitation services
- Recommend WASH and non-WASH interventions for improving resilience of water and sanitation services including potential additions to Thyolo’s WASH District Strategic Investment Plan and disaster contingency plan
- Contribute findings to advocacy documents for wider WASH stakeholders in Malawi
- Use learnings from the pilot to integrate climate resilience into WASH monitoring and reporting mechanisms
- Build capacity within Self Help Africa on climate resilient WASH monitoring