ASSESSING DETERMINANTS OF SOCIAL ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY TO FLOODS AMONG YOUTHS IN CHIKWAWA DISTRICT:

This study examined the determinants of social economic vulnerability to floods among youths in Chikwawa district. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed. The study had discussions with key Stakeholders at district and community levels as well as randomly sampled households. Quantitative household questionnaires and qualitative Key Informant Interviews were used to collect the data. The study established that floods impacted on youth’s critical aspects such as agriculture, health, education, s, housing, water and sanitation and property and assets. The study identified that the resilience mechanisms employed by youths were: depending on relief aid, cultivating on small portions on higher grounds, migration from flood affected areas, raising the floor of the house and food stockpiling. From the results, the conclusion has been drawn that youths are most vulnerable during disasters and failing to become resilient. The study identified that the resilience mechanisms employed by youths were majorly a function of five factors namely: depending on relief aid, cultivating on small portions on higher grounds, temporal migration to higher grounds, raising the floor of the house and food stockpiling. From the results, it has been concluded that youths suffer most during disasters. It was observed that youths depend much on relief aid to sustain their lives. This is mainly due to the lack of access to resources and discrimination that is placed on the them than rest population in the society. To reduce vulnerability to floods in Traditional Authority Maseya, the study suggests that the resilience mechanisms to be promoted should be those that can be accessible and adopted by the community. Specific emphasis should be given to the improvement of youths’ welfare through better access to productive assets and resources.

The study identified that the resilience mechanisms employed by youths were: depending on relief aid, cultivating on small portions on higher grounds, migration from flood affected areas, raising the floor of the house and food stockpiling. The study identified that the resilience mechanisms employed by youths were majorly a function of five factors namely: depending on relief aid, cultivating on small portions on higher grounds, temporal migration to higher grounds, raising the floor of the house and food stockpiling. This is mainly due to the lack of access to resources and discrimination that is placed on the them than rest population in the society. To reduce vulnerability to floods in Traditional Authority Maseya, the study suggests that the resilience mechanisms to be promoted should be those that can be accessible and adopted by the community.

Chikwawa District is in the southern part of Malawi. The hydrology of the Lower Shire Valley is dominated by the Mwaza, Bwabwari rivers and Shire River, the only outlet of Lake Malawi. Chikwawa district which is part of Lower Shire covers an area of 4,755 km2 and has a population of 564,684 of which 276, 890 are males and 287, 794 are females. (NSO, 2018).The senior group Chambuluka under T/A Maseya has four group village headmen namely chikutuleni, Bereu, Chambuluka and Sande. But Bereu group village headman includes; Bereu2, Anyada, Gaseliya Mphuleya 1 & 2, Bereu 1, Josamu, Lazalo and Selena.

District: Chikwawa

Coordinates: -16.2153, 34.6804