Resilience over Resistance Against Climate Change in Malawi

Authored By: Laurel Whidden

Globally, climate change has led to a decline in food production, increasing food insecurity [1, 2]. In 2019 alone, 750 million people experienced severe food insecurity, with 2 billion not having access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food [3]. Almost 70 percent of the most climate-vulnerable countries are also among the most politically and economically fragile [4].

Southern Africa is a climate change hotspot. Projected warming and drying trends are amplifying existing stresses in a naturally warm, dry, and water-stressed region [5]. Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, the region faces extreme vulnerability due to low adaptive capacity and reliance on rain-fed agriculture [6,7]. In this article, I focus specifically on Malawi as a case study, while recognizing that similar challenges are faced across the region.

In Malawi, agriculture is central to livelihood and national stability. As of 2015, 78% of Malawi's population was employed in the agricultural sector, making it a main source of income [8]. The agricultural sector accounts for 32% of the total GDP and over 78% of the country's total exports in 2016 [9]. The economy’s dependence on subsistence, rain-fed agriculture, along with economic inequality, heightens Malawi’s vulnerability to climatic shifts [10, 11]. In East and Southern Africa more broadly, agriculture sustains over 70% of the rural population, indicating that it remains the backbone of both food security and the regional economy.

When traditional lands are compromised by dramatic changes in the environment, communities face layered health consequences. Inadequate food sovereignty and security amplify various chronic health issues via malnutrition, weakened immune systems, and augmented disease susceptibility. Rising temperatures and intense rainfall are enabling the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria in previously cooler regions. Simultaneously, psychological stress from these climate-induced hardships is linked to rising mental health issues. Resource scarcity has intensified conflicts, resulting in displacement and the collapse of critical health infrastructure, further reducing access to essential care.

Over the past nine years, Malawi has faced repeated extreme weather and climatic events, including heavy rainfall leading to floods, extended dry spells, and prolonged droughts. Since 2019 alone, Malawi has endured five significant climate-related disasters: Cyclones Idai, Kenneth, Anna, Gombe, and, most recently, Cyclone Freddy in March 2023. Freddy struck Southern Malawi, causing catastrophic rains, floods, and mudslides that resulted in over 400 deaths, more than 900 injuries, and the displacement of over 340,000 people. It severely impacted health infrastructure, destroying or flooding over 300 facilities across Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique, heightening public health risks such as the spread of cholera, malaria, and vaccine-preventable diseases [12]. Damage to water systems, sanitation facilities, and healthcare access created ideal conditions for infectious diseases to spread rapidly among displaced and vulnerable populations.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Cyclone Freddy formed in the Indian Ocean on February 5, 2023, and persisted until March 14, making it one of the strongest cyclones ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere [12]. As global warming persists, storms as powerful and long-lived as Cyclone Freddy threaten devastation, as their intensity and longevity are thought to be closely linked to climate change. The devastating health impacts of Tropical Cyclones in Malawi highlight the urgent need for preparedness and resilience in dealing with climate change and extreme weather events [12].

Despite the threats, many traditional Malawian communities remain deeply rooted in their land. Community leaders in Jali-Zomba, a region in Southern Malawi, emphasize ancestral ties over relocation, even in the face of recurring floods and droughts. This cultural attachment reinforces the urgency of investing in community-based climate adaptation strategies that allow citizens to remain in their homeland, rather than promoting relocation as a primary solution.

Focusing on climate change resilience rather than resistance is crucial, because resilience emphasizes adaptation and preparedness, while resistance implies an attempt to prevent inevitable changes. For instance, increasing on-farm crop species richness (CSR) is associated with household diet diversity and quality in subsistence and market-oriented farming in Malawian households [13]. Yet, government agricultural subsidies often incentivize monocultures like maize, harming this diversity. While maize offers short-term yield benefits, its dominance reduces farmers’ capacity to manage risks like pests, droughts, and declining soil fertility, particularly for smallholders with limited land [13]. Food security, therefore, cannot be separated from agricultural policy. Diversifying crops buffers against climate variability while supporting nutrition and economic stability. Reducing reliance on a single staple crop could mitigate crop failure and market instability, especially in rural communities.

One aspect that could transform Malawi into a country with elevated food security may be linked to a change in education [14]. A 2024 University of Zambia study on senior secondary students in Malawi found that 56.9% had little knowledge of climate change, while 73.4% felt worried about the environment after learning Climate Change Education (CCE). Still, 66.9% lacked diverse practices for mitigating and adapting to climate change [15]. Despite the Ministry of Education’s goal to equip students with practical skills, including agricultural awareness, CCE remains inconsistently integrated into curricula.

Malawi’s experience represents a narrative that climate vulnerability is as much about socio-cultural systems as environmental ones. As extreme weather events grow more frequent, embracing community-rooted, culturally sensitive adaptation strategies becomes imperative. Investing in climate education, diversified agriculture, and localized resilience strategies offers a sustainable path forward. Rather than resisting inevitable change, how can national policies better align with grassroots resilience efforts to empower communities on the frontlines of climate disruption?

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