ASSESSING POST DISASTER RECOVERY IN PHALOMBE DISTRICT: LESSON FROM TROPICAL CYCLONE FREDDY

This study assessed the multi-dimensional community recovery and resilience in Phalombe District, Malawi, more than two years after the devastating impacts of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in March 2023. Drawing on the official Phalombe District Council District Civil Protection Committee (DCPC, 2023) report and primary data collected from the most affected Traditional Authority Jenala, the research examined social, economic, infrastructural, and environmental dimensions of recovery with the aim of evaluating the extent to which “build back better” principles had been applied. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining structured questionnaires with 30 purposively selected affected households, one focus group discussion, two key informant interviews with the Disaster Risk Management Officer and a Search and Rescue team member, and GIS-based land use and land cover (LULC) change detection analysis between 2022 and 2025. Findings reveal partial and uneven recovery. Social services such as school attendance and basic health access have largely resumed, yet economic recovery remains weak with average household monthly income declining by approximately 52% (from MWK 50,700 to MWK 25,300), farming productivity still low for 80% of households, and infrastructural recovery limited with only about 7% of damaged houses rebuilt to resilient standards and many roads and bridges still inaccessible during the rainy season. GIS analysis further confirmed environmental degradation, with vegetation cover decreasing by 6.72% and bare land increasing by 8.35%, exacerbating soil erosion and flood risk. The study concludes that while short-term humanitarian assistance was effective, long-term resilience-building has been inadequate, leaving communities highly vulnerable to future disasters. These findings underscore the need for more coordinated, sustainable recovery strategies in flood-prone areas of Malawi. Recommendations include scaling up long-term livelihood support, prioritizing resilient housing and infrastructure rehabilitation, strengthening community preparedness, and improving multi-stakeholder coordination to genuinely “build back better.”