Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA)

The Lilongwe City Council(LCC) has increasingly experienced climate change-induced shocks, particularly flashfloods, which have affected the livability and resilience of some areas. In response, the LCC developed and began implementing a City Resilience Action Plan (City RAP). This plan was designed to guide climate-related programming and investment by the LCC and various development partners.

This research project aimed to assess the efficacy of the City’s climate change actions, particularly from the perspective of residents in informal settlements. The study sought to understand what is working well, what gaps remain, and how current efforts can be improved to better serve vulnerable communities.

Specifically, the study set out to:

1. Identify     the channels through which informal settlement dwellers access climate     change information;
2. Understand     the impact of this information on their behavior and decision-making; and

Recommend ways to improve the effectiveness of climate change communication and actions by the Lilongwe City Council and its partners, based on the lived experiences of informal settlement residents.

Developed data collection tools for climate change information.

Completed 101 one-on-one interviews and three focus group discussions with residents across three informal settlements.

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