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Malawi has taken an important step towards strengthening climate-resilient land use planning following a review conducted between October and December 2025 to assess how climate and flood risks can be better integrated into land use planning and development.
The review provides practical guidance for addressing the growing threat of climate-related disasters, including devastating floods associated with Cyclones Idai, Ana and Freddy, which have caused significant damage to infrastructure, livelihoods, communities and ecosystems across the country.
The study focused on Lilongwe City, Karonga and Phalombe, examining climate and flood risks, existing policies and legal frameworks, institutional arrangements, and international best practices in climate-informed land use planning.
The findings indicate that although Malawi has established a foundation for managing climate and disaster risks, several challenges continue to undermine effective implementation. These include weak enforcement of existing laws and regulations, inadequate flood mapping, limited application of climate projections in development planning, poor institutional coordination, and continued settlement and infrastructure development in flood-prone areas.
To address these challenges, the report proposes a climate-risk-informed land use planning framework centred on a legally enforceable Floodplain and River Corridor Management Plan. The proposed framework would introduce flood zoning based on different levels of hazard, clearly identifying areas where development can be permitted, restricted or prohibited.
Among the key recommendations, the report calls for mandatory flood zoning in land use planning and the use of scientifically established floodlines and climate projections to guide development decisions. It also recommends locating critical infrastructure and public services outside high-risk flood zones, while applying strict engineering and environmental standards in areas classified as having moderate flood risks.
The report further emphasises the importance of protecting rivers, ecological buffers and environmentally sensitive areas, strengthening erosion and sediment control measures, and improving coordination and enforcement among institutions responsible for land use planning, environmental management and disaster risk reduction.
The review highlights the need to move beyond reactive disaster response towards proactive planning that anticipates future climate risks and prevents development in unsafe locations.
By integrating climate adaptation into land use planning, Malawi can reduce communities’ exposure to flooding, protect critical infrastructure and ecosystems, minimise future disaster-related losses, and promote safer, more sustainable and climate-resilient development.
The proposed framework offers a practical basis for strengthening planning decisions at national and local levels, ensuring that current and future development takes account of both existing flood hazards and projected climate change impacts.
Downloads
Guidelines for Climate-Risk Based Land Use Planning and Flood Zoning (Final Report) (PDF, 99 pages, 2.6 MB)
Review of Land Use Planning and Flood Zoning Policies (August 2026) (PDF, 168 pages, 3.3 MB)
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