INFRASTRUCTURAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT DUE TO CYCLONE FREDDY 2023 USING REMOTE SENSING AND GIS, THE CASE STUDY OF CHILOBWE IN BLANTYRE

Natural disasters occur frequently around the world, and their frequency and intensity seem to be increasing in recent years. The disasters such as cyclones and Floods often cause a significant loss of life, property damage, large scale economic and social impacts, and environmental damage. This study will assess infrastructure damage in Chilobwe, Blantyre city, Malawi. The study will assess the impact of cyclone Freddy in the area, Nowadays; we have access to data and techniques provided by remote sensing and GeoInformation System (GIS) that have proven their usefulness in disaster management plans. Remote Sensing can assists in damage assessment monitoring, providing a quantitative base for relief operations. After that, it can be used to map the new situation and update the database used for the reconstruction of an area. Disaster management plan consists of two phases that takes place before disaster occurs, disaster prevention and disaster preparedness, a three phases that happens after the occurrence of a disaster i.e. disaster relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. In the disaster rehabilitation phase GIS is used to organize the damage information and the post-disaster census information, and in the evaluation of sites for reconstruction. In this study, two satellite images of Chilobwe, Malawi have been utilized; one image before the cyclone and one after. The two images have been geometrically corrected. Change detection has been applied to identify and assess the damages. The results of this study emphasize the importance of using remote sensing and GIS in damage assessment phase as part of effective Disaster Management Plan.

The disasters such as cyclones and Floods often cause a significant loss of life, property damage, large scale economic and social impacts, and environmental damage. The study will assess the impact of cyclone Freddy in the area, Nowadays; we have access to data and techniques provided by remote sensing and GeoInformation System (GIS) that have proven their usefulness in disaster management plans. Disaster management plan consists of two phases that takes place before disaster occurs, disaster prevention and disaster preparedness, a three phases that happens after the occurrence of a disaster i.e. In the disaster rehabilitation phase GIS is used to organize the damage information and the post-disaster census information, and in the evaluation of sites for reconstruction.

The study was conducted in Chilobwe township in Blantyre, situated in Southern Malawi. The district covers an area of 240 km2 representing 0.19% of the total land area of Malawi. Blantyre City is in the Shire Highlands and geographical center of the Southern Region of the country and lies 35° east of Greenwich Meridian and 15° 42’ south of the Equator. The city sits at an elevation of approximately 1,039 meters (3,409 feet) above sea level. As of the 2018 census, Blantyre had a population of about 800,264 people, making it the second-largest city in Malawi after Lilongwe, the capital (Malawi NSO, 2018). Chilobwe town ship is situated to the southwest of Blantyre City Center. It is bordered by other townships such as Ndirande and Machinjiri. It is located in latitude (15°49'55.2"S) and longitude (34°57'55.1"E) (Google maps).

Traditional authority: Blantyre City

District: Blantyre

Coordinates: -15.7955, 35.04405