PROJECT OVERVIEW
To improve the learning environment in primary schools, the Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Education and with funding from the World Bank, implemented the Malawi Education Reform Program (MERP) from 2021 to 2025. A key component of the program focused on enhancing school infrastructure and learning conditions through, among others, the construction of classroom and sanitation blocks, which required the preparation of ESMPs. Naturenv Consult was engaged to develop the ESMP for the Shire Highlands Education Division—covering Phalombe, Mulanje, Thyolo, and Chiradzulu districts—which was allocated 416 classroom and 148 sanitation blocks.

THE CHALLENGE
The consultant faced two major challenges beyond meeting MEPA requirements, World Bank Environmental and Social Standards, and the project’s Environmental and Social Management Framework. The study covered a wide geographical area—four districts and numerous schools—demanding extensive baseline data collection, review of large volumes of information, and a broad impact assessment. Midway through the assignment, Cyclone Freddy struck, destroying infrastructure, washing away crops, and causing loss of life. The consultant swiftly returned to affected schools to assess the damage and developed a Disaster Risk Management Plan and an Emergency Preparedness Plan—an entirely new task that required rapid adaptation.

THE APPROACH
Naturenv Consult adopted a strategic mixed-methods approach to prepare a high-quality ESMP across four districts and numerous schools. The study began with a scoping review to identify critical environmental and social issues, followed by stakeholder consultations with teachers, students, parents, and education officials, alongside field assessments of classrooms, sanitation facilities, and learning environments. Field teams were deployed simultaneously using standardized tools to streamline data collection and analysis. Although the team had no prior experience preparing a Disaster Risk Management Plan and Emergency Preparedness Plan, they rapidly acquired the necessary knowledge by reviewing relevant guidelines, consulting experts and specialists, and studying best practices, enabling the development of robust, context-specific plans.