INVESTIGATING THE CAUSES AND IMPACTS OF FLOODS INCLUDING COPING STRATEGIES: CASE STUDY OF BAKA AREA IN KARONGA DISTRICT

This study examined the causes, impacts, and coping strategies of flooding in the Baka area. The study was conducted at the Baka area (Mwanyesha village), T/A Kyungu, Karonga district. The study used observation and interviews to obtain primary data and secondary data was obtained through desk research by reviewing related kinds of literature and also the recorded data that was obtained from the Relief and Rehabilitation officer of Karonga district. This study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches and data was analyzed using Instant software package, Microsoft excel, and Microsoft word. The study involved 41 respondents: one key informant was from Karonga Relief and Rehabilitation Office and 40 respondents were people from the Baka area. Systematic sampling was used as the sampling technique while interviews and questionnaires were used as tools for data collection. According to the findings from the residents of the area and the Relief and Rehabilitation officer, it shows that human activities e.g. cutting down of trees for charcoal, burning bricks, cultivating on a flood plain, the geographical terrain of the area and the upper areas of Chitipa district which receive high rainfall with more water moving at a higher velocity thereby affecting low lying areas of Karonga district are the main factors leading to flooding in the area. Furthermore, the study also found out that the floods have many negative impacts on the villagers and that different coping strategies are employed before flooding (since they can predict that floods are likely to occur using their indigenous knowledge), during, and after flooding. Lastly, it was found out that some of the mitigations measures were put in place to help in reducing the impacts of floods and some of these measures are; construction of a dyke, strengthening of early warning systems, promotion of modern farming methods, and planting of trees on bare land and along the river banks though their implementations have been hindered by several factors which include economic and cultural among others. From the findings, the recommendations were made and if they can be followed then having a Baka area that is independent and resilient to disasters is possible. Thus, the policy that encourages communities especially in the rural areas to build houses using durable materials and staying away from flood-prone areas must be strengthened. A permanent evacuation campsite has to be constructed to avoid having relocation campsites within the school premises; structural measures e.g. dam, temporal floodwater storage artificial levees must be constructed to trap excess water which can later be used for irrigation. Community initiated mitigation measures should be promoted to build the community's capacity and lessening the vulnerability to
hazard.