LocationsUNDP and partners support efforts to improve disaster risk information and strengthen evidence-based planning, preparedness and early action.
Malawi Strengthens Disaster Risk Assessment
October 20, 2026
Participants at the technical workshop in Lilongwe on the Index for Risk Management (INFORM) Methodology Refresh and Malawi Baseline Risk Profile.
Photo: UNDP Malawi/Jonathan Mphande/2026
Malawi is advancing efforts to strengthen its understanding of disaster risks through a review of the Index for Risk Management (INFORM) assessment methodology and work on the country's baseline risk profile, aimed at improving how risk information informs national and district-level planning.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen disaster risk governance and ensure that government institutions and development partners have access to reliable information to guide preparedness, investment and early action.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), working with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other stakeholders, is supporting efforts to strengthen the use of disaster risk information in national planning and decision-making.
These efforts were the focus of a technical workshop in Lilongwe on the INFORM Methodology Refresh and Malawi Baseline Risk Profile, bringing together representatives from government ministries, development partners, academia and district councils.
Delivering opening remarks, Rabi Narayan Gaudo, UNDP Malawi's Manager for the Resilience and Sustainable Growth Portfolio, emphasised the importance of making disaster risk information more accessible and useful for planning, preparedness and action.
"This workshop will help us make disaster risk information more useful for planning, preparedness and action in Malawi."
Mr. Rabi Narayan Gaudo, UNDP Malawi's Manager for the Resilience and Sustainable Growth Portfolio.
Photo: Photo: UNDP Malawi/Jonathan Mphande/2026
Understanding where risks are greatest
Malawi continues to face disaster risks that can affect communities, livelihoods, infrastructure and development gains. Understanding how these risks differ across geographical areas is essential for effective planning and resource allocation.
The INFORM methodology provides a structured approach to assessing disaster risk by bringing together three key dimensions: hazards and exposure, vulnerability, and lack of coping capacity.
These dimensions help provide a clearer picture of where disaster risks are greatest, which communities may be most vulnerable and where additional preparedness measures may be needed.
Mr. Gaudo explained that understanding these different dimensions of risk can help government institutions and partners direct support to areas where it is most needed.
"Together, these help us understand where risks are greatest and where support is most needed."
The methodology refresh provides an opportunity to review the relevance and usefulness of the information and indicators used to assess risk in Malawi's context.
Work on the baseline risk profile is intended to establish a clearer picture of disaster risk conditions, providing a reference point for planning, prioritising interventions and monitoring changes over time.
Together, these efforts can help strengthen the evidence available to government institutions and partners when making decisions about disaster preparedness and risk reduction.
Work on the baseline risk profile is intended to establish a clearer picture of disaster risk conditions.
Photo: UNDP Malawi/Jonathan Mphande/2026
Making disaster risk information useful for decision-making
Reliable information is particularly valuable when it can be translated into practical decisions that protect people and livelihoods.
For Malawi, the next step is to integrate the INFORM Subnational Risk Index into DoDMA's Disaster Risk Management Information System and Disaster Information Hub.
This integration is expected to make risk information easier to access and use, while strengthening contingency planning and supporting earlier action before hazards develop into disasters.
Mr. Gaudo highlighted the importance of ensuring that risk assessments inform practical investment decisions, particularly where resources are limited.
"This information can help government and partners prioritise limited resources."
The information can also help government institutions and partners identify areas requiring greater attention and make more informed decisions about allocating resources for disaster preparedness.
At the workshop, participants were encouraged to assess whether the available information reflects conditions in their districts, identify data gaps and propose improvements that would make the systems more useful in their daily work.
This process is important in ensuring that risk assessment tools are informed by local realities and respond to the practical needs of institutions responsible for disaster preparedness and response.
At the workshop, participants were encouraged to assess whether the available information reflects conditions in their districts.
Photo: UNDP Malawi/Jonathan Mphande/2026
Strengthening national ownership and sustainability
Beyond reviewing the methodology and risk information, the workshop also highlighted the importance of institutional arrangements to sustain the use of disaster risk information.
These include determining who will maintain the information systems, how data will be updated and how the tools can remain reliable and useful beyond the initial technical work.
Mr. Gaudo stressed the importance of establishing clear responsibilities for managing and maintaining the systems.
"These arrangements are essential if the system is to remain reliable and useful beyond this workshop."
UNDP has supported countries across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to adapt the SADC INFORM Risk Model to their national contexts, while strengthening the skills and systems needed to use risk information in disaster management and development planning.
In Malawi, this work contributes to ongoing efforts to strengthen national disaster risk governance and digital information systems.
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