El Niño Area Specific Report

The impact of strong El Niño varies markedly by region. The Northern Region districts generally face low overall risk, with dry spell and extreme rainfall hazards minimal and drought risk low to moderate. Central Region districts face a mixed picture of moderate dry spells and moderate drought, with extreme rainfall risk elevated in a cluster of districts around Ntchisi and Dowa. The Southern Region carries the highest and most compound risk: twelve districts face the combination of moderate dry spells, severe drought conditions, and severe extreme rainfall risk simultaneously, meaning both drought and flood contingency measures must be planned together rather than treated as separate hazards.