By Clever Mwale:
Malawi has rolled out the first cycle of World Bank-funded Regional Climate Resilience Project Phase Two (RCRP-2), launching 74 climate-resilient infrastructure projects nationwide in a decisive shift from disaster recovery to long-term climate readiness.
The five-year programme marks a major decentralisation drive, placing district councils at the centre of planning and delivery as the country confronts the rising cost of floods, cyclones and extreme weather.
Dowa and Lilongwe are among the first districts to move to construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation, signalling the operational start of the project’s first of five annual cycles.
In Dowa, the District Council has commenced three projects that include the rehabilitation of Chigongolero Primary School block, Chimpeni teachers’ house and Ponda classroom block after one planned project was dropped due to implementation constraints.
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Lilongwe District Council is implementing four projects covering sanitation blocks, classroom blocks, staff houses and pit latrines, combining new construction with reconstruction and rehabilitation of disaster-affected facilities.
The packages also include the provision of desks for every new or rehabilitated classroom block, directly linking resilient infrastructure to improved learning conditions.
World Bank Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist Kondwani Chirembo said the early performance of the works reflected a deliberate focus on quality and durability rather than speed alone.
“We are not here to rebuild what will collapse again but to change how Malawi builds so that communities are protected even when the next disaster strikes,” Chirembo said.
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At national level, Deputy Project Coordinator at the National Government Finance Committee Flemmings Nyirenda said the first cycle faced delays as Malawi complied with strict World Bank safeguards and procurement requirements.
“This is the first cycle out of five and we chose compliance over shortcuts because resilient infrastructure must also be accountable infrastructure,” Nyirenda said.
Dowa Director of Planning and Development Mercy Mpakule said communities and traditional leaders were no longer passive beneficiaries but active watchdogs on project sites.
“Even when our officers are not on site, community members and chiefs are there every day, monitoring materials, workmanship and progress,” Mpakule said.
Under the first cycle, Dowa District Council will receive over K600 million for its three projects while Lilongwe District Council is implementing its four projects under a separate allocation exceeding K1.2 billion.
