“Don’t Fear El Niño, Prepare for It” — Wiskesi

Minister of Natural Resources Patricia Wiskesi has urged Malawians not to fear the anticipated El Niño weather conditions, but instead focus on preparing communities to respond effectively to the expected weather patterns.

Wiskesi made the remarks on Wednesday in Lilongwe when she presided over the National Co-Production Workshop for Action-Based Forecasting in Malawi.

She said Malawi has often been severely affected by climate-related disasters because climate information reaches communities after disasters have already occurred.

“However, this time around, we are trying to do things differently to know and make sure that the climate information actually reaches the end user, goes the last mile to farmers, people at community and district level before the incident happens, in order to ensure that as a country we are prepared for the disasters that are coming,” she said.

Wiskesi said national resilience should not be measured by how the country responds after disasters occur, but by how well it prepares before they strike.

She said adequate preparation would help protect lives and property while safeguarding people’s livelihoods.

Meanwhile, Wiskesi disclosed that her ministry is working to improve the dissemination of weather forecast messages, although gaps remain in reaching people at grassroots level.

She said the ministry was addressing the challenge by providing both seasonal and anticipatory forecasts to help communities understand expected rainfall patterns before the onset of the rainy season.

Wiskesi said government was also developing a communication strategy to ensure climate information reaches various government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as Village Development Committees, district councils, Area Development Committees and Traditional Authorities.

She said the ministry would use community radio stations, newspapers and television to disseminate forecasts, enabling people to access timely information and make informed decisions before the rainy season begins.

Wiskesi further said government resources were limited, making support from development partners critical to the country’s preparedness efforts.

She said the government had received support from the World Food Programme and the United Kingdom’s international development programme.

Speaking at the same event, Deputy British High Commissioner Ben Nicholson said the UK government was committed to working with the Malawi Government on climate forecasting and preparedness.

Nicholson said the UK was partnering with the government through the UK Met Office and the WISER programme, which supports countries to develop accurate weather forecasts and translate climate information into practical action.

He added that the UK had committed US$3 million to support efforts addressing El Niño-related challenges this year.I can also make the headline more newspaper-style and punchier if you want.