Abstract:
Many parts of Malawi are prone to natural hazards with varying degrees of risk and vul nerability. This study aimed at obtaining baseline data for quantifying vulnerability of the
households to food risks in Karonga District in northern Malawi, specifcally in Group
Village Headman Matani Mwakasangila of Traditional Authority Kilupula. The study
used cross-sectional survey, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. This
study applied Flood Vulnerability Index and statistical methods to quantify and analyse
vulnerability of households in the aspects of exposure, susceptibility and resilience char acteristics. Proportional Odds Model also known as Ordered Logistic Regression was used
to identify factors that determine vulnerability of households to food risks. The results
show that households headed by females and elders of age (at least 61 years) were the
most vulnerable to foods because of their limited social and livelihood capacities, resulting
from being uneconomically active group. Households with houses built of mud, thatched
and very old with no protective account for high vulnerability due to the fact that most of
them are constructed using substandard materials. The level of vulnerability was increas ing with an increase in the number of households exposed and susceptible to foods. With
an increase in resilience to foods, vulnerability level was decreasing. The results further
revealed a predictive margins of vulnerability levels which were not signifcantly diferent
among the villages. However, villages with more exposed, susceptible and not resilience
households were most vulnerable to foods. This study recommends that vulnerability
assessment should be included in Disaster Risk Reduction planning and implementation in
order to make DRR more efcient and realistic. This would further strengthen the disaster
risk management to be more proactive as well as increase resilience of households to food
risks.
