2025 Awareness Meeting on the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Act

Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC) in collaboration with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) and with support from Christian Aid on 23rd September, 2025 held an awareness meeting on the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Act and DRM Policy with Mwanza District Council stakeholders.

The meeting aimed at empowering district council leaders with knowledge and understanding on the provisions of the DRM Act and policy and discuss roles of the council members in advancing the policy and Act at district level.

Speaking at the event, CISONECC National Coordinator, Julius Ng'oma, stressed that citizen participation is key in disaster management and emphasized the importance of resources reaching the most vulnerable communities. District Council officials have a duty to ensure that the DRM policy and Act are fully implemented at the district level and that stakeholders and communities comply with the provisions.

DoDMA Principal Recovery Officer, Blessings Kantema, highlighted that the initiative is part of efforts to popularize the DRM Act and Policy for coordinated action among government, CSOs, and communities.

Representing the District Commissioner, Director of Economic Planning and Development, Dumisani Chiwala, pledged the council’s commitment to mainstream DRM into development plans despite resource constraints.

The meeting brought together council officials and civil society representatives to unpack key provisions of the Act, which seeks to enhance preparedness, response, and resilience in the face of disasters that continue to affect Malawi.