The Idea

In March 2019, Cyclone Idai flooded southern Malawi. In the weeks after, relief agencies needed a clear record of what had happened and who it had reached, because recovery work that goes undocumented is hard to report, hard to fund, and easy to forget once the news moves on.

UNDP Malawi commissioned LOWRES to document the affected districts. Over five days across Phalombe, Mulanje, and Jali, the crew captured communities, relief operations, and recovery sites from the ground and from the air.

Between 1,500 and 2,000 photographs, over 150 videos, and aerial drone coverage. An archive UNDP could use for reporting, advocacy, and its institutional record long after the immediate response ended.