Enhanced agriculture emergency response to tackle the negative effects of El Niño in Malawi

Malawi’s agriculture sector has experienced severe climatic shocks over the past two years which have negatively impacted rural communities whose main livelihood is rainfed smallholder farming. The consequences of frequent prolonged dry spells and floods in southern districts, combined with the weakening of the traditional systems of resource management (mainly due to population pressure), have further worsened the vulnerability of communities to shocks and disasters. The objective of this project was to to sustain and improve the food security situation of smallholder farmers affected by the El Niño induced drought, to rebuild their capacity to engage in agriculture production and enhance coping mechanisms to strengthen their resilience to future shocks.