About Us
Program | The Team
Regional Climate Resilience Program-2
The Regional Climate Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa – Phase 2 (RCRP-2) is a five-year, World Bank-funded initiative supporting Malawi and the African Union. Building on RCRP-1, it aims to strengthen preparedness, response, and resilience to climate shocks. In Malawi, RCRP-2 focuses on rebuilding infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Freddy, enhancing governance and climate financing, and improving resilience in the Shire River Basin.
Structured around five components, RCRP-2 promotes basin-level planning, early warning systems, district-led development, and inclusive urban resilience.
Mission
The mission of RCRP-2 is to strengthen resilience to water-related climate shocks in Malawi. By investing in infrastructure, governance, and early warning systems, the program helps communities prepare for and adapt to floods, droughts, and other climate risks.
Objectives
A QUICK GLANCE
Project stats & achievements.
2024
Year Funded
$240M
TOTAL Funding
32+
WORKFORCE
9MDAs
institutions
28 District Councils
institutions
A QUICK GLANCE
Project stats & achievements.
2024
Year Funded
$240M
TOTAL Funding
32+
WORKFORCE
9MDAs
Institutions
28 District Councils
Institutions
Meet the Team
Team Profile
The RCRP team unites coordinators, experts, and project units across Malawi. Led by national institutions, our specialists bring proven skills in safeguards, monitoring, communications, and financial management. Together, we deliver climate resilience solutions that protect communities and drive sustainable growth.
Project Coordinator
Adwell Zembere
Project Coordinator and Director for the Department of Economic Planning
A career economist, he has worked in the civil service for the past 18 years. His forte is on macroeconomic policy research, research for evidence-based policy formulation, implementation, review, among others. He has championed the formulation of the RCRP-2 and oversaw its formative stages, approval in December 2023 and effectiveness in April 2024. As a Coordinator, he is responsible for the daily operations of RCRP-2. He holds a Master of Science in International Economics obtained in 2011 from Lund University in Sweden, and a Bachelor of Social Science in Economics (2005) from the University of Malawi
Deputy Project Coordinator, RA PIU
Eng. Jarrison Rappi Chilongo
Deputy Programme Coordinator, RA PIU as the Chief Designs Engineer in the Planning and Development Department.
Currently working with the Roads Authority as the Chief Designs Engineer in the Planning and Development Department. He has worked in all other departments, i.e. Construction and Maintenance, at Entry, Senior and Chief Engineer levels – with specific specialisation ranging from highways, materials, hydrology and hydraulics, structures, and road safety. Before joining RA, Jarrison had worked with contractors, both small-scale (e.g. Wasi Civil Engineering) and major ones such as Mota-Engil, and worked with consultants, such as David Consulting, GK Works, and EMC Jatula Associates, at both design and supervision levels. He has attended numerous trainings, including Strategic management, Project management, Strategic negotiations, FIDIC (all books), Climate resilience and adaptation, Project appraisal, including feasibility studies and detailed engineering design, Road Data Management (RDM), Road Asset Management, etc. Jarrison has been involved in several projects, including Cross Roads – Kanengo Capacity Improvement (Design); Area 49 – Parliament Capacity Improvement (Including Area 18 Interchange design and construction monitoring); Mzuzu – Nkhatabay (Design and supervision); Liwonde – Mangochi (Design and supervision); M1 Rehabilitation, from KIA to Mzimba Turn Off and Kacheche to Chiweta (Design and partial supervision); Lilongwe Bridge and approach Roads (Design); and Chitipa – Ilomba (Designs), among others. A professionally registered Engineer and mentor, he is a holder of an MSc in Project Management and a BSc in Civil Engineering (Transportation, structures, water and wastewater, and project management).
Deputy Project Coordinator, NLGFC PIU
Flemmings Nyirenda
Deputy Programme Coordinator, RA PIU as the Chief Designs Engineer in the Planning and Development Department.
Flemmings Nyirenda has over 19 years of experience as a development planning and policy professional working for the Malawi Government, local governments, state corporations and development programmes. In his current position, he is responsible for the partial coordination of components 2 and 3. He fosters cross-team collaboration to help project team members complete project tasks, produce deliverables and is responsible for ensuring that project activities are well-organised and coordinated. This involves keeping track of timelines, resources, and tasks. Before this, he worked as both a Deputy Coordinator and Focal Point for the Governance to Enable Service Delivery Project (GESD), responsible for the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture and as Coordinator of Mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS in state corporations in Malawi. He substantively holds a position of Deputy Director of Planning and Policy in the Ministry of Local Government Unity and Culture. A holder of a Master’s of Science in Agriculture and Applied Economics from the University of Malawi and the University of Pretoria (with a focus on Macroeconomics, development policy and econometrics) and a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Malawi.
Deputy Project Coordinator, PCU
Kumbukani Ng’ambi
Deputy Programme Coordinator, RA PIU as the Chief Designs Engineer in the Planning and Development Department.
He is a seasoned Economist, result-oriented, and a self-starter with the ability to understand complex issues, analyse them and develop solutions. His areas of specialisation include: Strategy development; Macroeconomic analysis; Monitoring and Evaluation; Economic Research, Communication and Knowledge Management; Budgeting; Bilateral, Regional and Multilateral Economic Cooperation; Policy analysis; Planning and Oversight. He has massive experience, having worked with the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Finance and Economic Affairs, and Lands. He has also served as Deputy Director at the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU), spearheading Infrastructure Development and accelerating the delivery of priority national initiatives. He is a hardworking and patriotic team player with strong writing, public speaking and presentation skills. Kumbukani has excellent organisational, interpersonal, diplomatic and coordination skills.
Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist
Zex Kalipalire
He has twenty years of professional experience in monitoring and evaluation, data management, program development, agriculture and food security, microfinance management, development and capacity building. Zex has worked has worked in a similar for the World Bank funded Lilongwe Water and Sanitation Project implemented by Lilongwe Water Board, Financial Sector Technical Assistance Project implemented by Reserve Bank of Malawi and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for EU funded Farm Income Diversification Programme implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and an Economist with Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs under the Department of Economic Planning and Development. He is a holder of a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics, Universität Hohenheim, Germany.
Social Safeguards Specialist
Chimwemwe M. Chisenga Tembo (Mrs)
Chimwemwe has over 18 years of experience working in various sectors, including the Ministry of Agriculture as a Social and Gender Expert, and the Malawi Food Systems Resilience Programme (MFSRP) as an Assistant Social Safeguards Specialist. She boasts of expertise in facilitation, grievance redressing, screening, development and management/implementation of the environmental and social management plans (ESMPs), report production, monitoring Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) compliance, evaluation, development and reviewing of ESIA reports, and development of terms of references in liaison with the procurement section for procurement of various consultancies. She is a holder of a Master of Science in Youth Development and Extension obtained from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, among other professional qualifications.
Communications Specialist
Yvonnie Akonda Sundu
A trained journalist, public relations practitioner and communication professional with over 17 years of experience, she spent her early career days, about 13 years, working in different roles as a journalist in both the print and broadcast sectors. Among others, she has worked with MIJ FM and Nation Publications Limited. Her experience in full-time communication started with the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM), and before joining the RCRP-2, she was with the Equity with Quality Learning in Secondary (EQUALS) Project, also funded by the World Bank. She holds a Master’s Degree in Global Journalism and Communication obtained from the Renmin University of China. She has also served as the vice chairperson for the Media Institute for Southern Africa-Misa Malawi.
Environmental Safeguards Specialist
Emmanuel Charles Mkomwa
He has over 15 years of work experience in conducting Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Development of Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs), project management including designing, planning, implementation and evaluation, local governance, environment and natural resources management, climate change and disaster risk management. He has worked on various programmes and projects funded by the World Bank, AfDB, UNDP, Irish Aid, USAID, European Union, Norway and Flanders International, among others. He has worked as Environmental and Social Standards Specialist (Consultant) for Malawi Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience Project Using the Multiphase Programme (MHEPRRP) under Ministry of Health from January to May 2025, Environmental Specialist (Consultant) for Malawi Resilience and Disaster Risk Management Project (MRDRMP) and Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP) funded by World Bank under Ministry of Water and Sanitation since February 2021 to December 2024. He has also worked as Environmental and Social Safeguard Specialist for Agriculture Second Wide Approach Project (ASWAp-SP II) under the Ministry of Agriculture from September 2020 to January, 2021, Environmental and Social Safeguards Officer based at the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) from April to September 2020, Projects Officer for the Public Works Programme – Malawi Social Action Fund (PWP MASAF IV) and Environmental Officer at Environmental Affairs Department (EAD). Emmanuel is a holder of a Master’s in Environmental Sciences from the University of Malawi, Chancellor College, obtained in 2014 and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Bunda College of Agriculture, now (LUANAR), obtained in 2010. He has also undergone extensive professional training in developmental fields including Project Management, Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Environmental and Social Compliance Audit, Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Disaster Risk Management, Environment and Natural Resources Management (ENRM) from reputable institutions including World Bank, African Development Bank, UNDP and USAID among others.
Environmental Safeguards Specialist
Victor Kayiwaze Nyirongo
He has over twenty years of experience working in the Environmental and Natural Resources Management sector, which encompasses collaborations with various government departments, donor projects, NGOs, and consulting companies. Some of the assignments Victor has worked on include: Environmental Specialist for Programme for Rural Irrigation Development (PRIDE) funded IFAD; Environmental and Natural Resources Management Specialist for the Shire River Basin Management Programme (Catchment Management Component) Funded by the World Bank; Senior Environmentalist on the End Term Evaluation for Millennium Challenge Account- Malawi and other organisations conducted by IOS Partners (USA), carrying out due diligence on environmental issues on the Water Treatment II for Lilongwe Water Board, Land Resources Conservation Officer under Department of Land Resources Conservation; and Environmental Officer under the Environmental Affairs Department. Victor has a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and Biological Systems Engineering obtained from the University of Malawi and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, respectively. He also has Professional certificates in Environmental and Social Framework-ESF and Social, Environmental and Climate.
Social Safeguards Specialist
Aubrey Chaguzika
An Environmental and Social Risk Management, and Gender and Development Expert and a Statistician, he has expertise in program coordination and management, monitoring and evaluation, research, gender transformative programming, gender responsive disaster and risk management, and environmental and social risk Management. He has over 14 years of development program experience, working with a wide network of partners, including local and international organisations and the Malawi Government as follows: Forum for African Women Educationalists in Malawi (FAWEMA), NGO Gender Coordination Network (NGOGCN), UNDP and Malawi Education Reform Program (MERP), among others. He holds a Master of Science in Gender and Development from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources and a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the University of Malawi.
Contracts Management Specialist
Eng. Masiye Dickson Chitule
A Professional Civil Engineer registered with the Malawi Engineering Institution (MEI), he has over 25 years of experience in design, procurement and project management of infrastructure projects, particularly in roads, water supply systems and buildings. He has worked in both the public and private sectors and for both civil engineering consulting firms and civil engineering contractors. He has also worked for international clients. Some of the projects he has worked with include a detailed engineering design consultancy for a 5-storey head office building for the Blantyre Water Board; Rural Roads Expert for the consultancy assignment for Road Asset Management which was one of the consultancy services within the Accelerated Growth Corridors (AGC) Project which was implemented under Compact II initiative of the Government of Malawi and the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC); Contracts Engineer for the Government of Malawi/European Union Public Works Programme (PWP) responsible for Lilongwe District roads; Resident Engineer for various water supply projects including the design and construction supervision of Dowa Water supply Scheme under the Six Centers Water Supply Project which was implemented by the Central Region Water Board; and the Director of Engineering Services at the Zomba City Council in Malawi. He has a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Engineering Management (Water Management) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, both obtained from the University of Malawi in 2017 and 1998, respectively.
Financial Management Specialist
Zondiwe Kadango
He has worked with Malawi government projects financed by the World Bank, African Development Bank and the European Development Fund, heading the finance departments for over 20 years. He is a Certified Accountant with an MBA from the University of Derby, a Fellow of the Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants (FCCA) and a registered member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Malawi (ICAM). A result-oriented, self-disciplined, dependable and trustworthy, he is also a Certified Forensic Investigation Professional.
Project Engineer
Eng. Vincent Cheyo Msadala
He is a Civil Engineering Expert with 20 years’ experience in disaster-resilient infrastructure development, design and construction supervision.
From 2018 to 2025, he worked as the Head of Department responsible for Climate Sciences and Water Resources Management at the Ndata School of Climate and Earth Sciences, Malawi University of Science and Technology. Before that, he worked as an Individual Consultant responsible for Water Resources Modelling/Engineering for the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development under the World Bank-funded Shire River Basin Management Programme. He previously worked at the University of Malawi as a Lecturer in Hydraulics and Hydrology from 2006 to 2016. Before joining UNIMA, he worked at Blantyre Water Board as a Graduate Management Trainee responsible for water infrastructure planning, design and supervision.
He has been involved in various consultancies relating to climate-resilient infrastructure development with ministries, departments, agencies, as well as private and public organisations. He is a specialist in water resources engineering, climate risk assessments, flood and drought risk management, river and stormwater hydraulics, flood hydrology, sedimentation studies, and design of hydraulic structures and drainage systems.
Msadala has also worked as a hydrologist or water resources engineer on projects in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Australia, Bangladesh and Malawi.
A holder of a PhD in Civil Engineering, among other qualifications, he is a registered professional engineer with the Malawi Engineering Institution.
Project Engineer
Eng. Boniface Lloyd Nthakomwa
Experienced Civil Engineer with over 20 years of uninterrupted expertise in designing, preparing, implementing, and supervising infrastructure projects. He has a strong background in hydraulic structures, irrigation and drainage, flood risk management and early warning systems, flood protection structures, dams and water conservation structures, agricultural storage and marketing facilities, as well as water and sanitation structures. Known for a collaborative approach and delivering results that align with project goals, he has worked as a Senior Irrigation Engineer for the Department of Irrigation and as a Social Infrastructure Expert for the Joint Songwe River Basin Commission (SONGWECOM), which is a transboundary river basin organisation set up by the Governments of the Republic of Malawi and the United Republic of Tanzania. He is a registered Engineer with the Malawi Engineering Institution (MEI) and has a Master’s Degree in Water Science and Engineering, specialising in Hydraulic Engineering-Land and Water Development, obtained in 2014 from UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering obtained from the University of Malawi in 2003.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
Francis Osei Mserembo
He has 29 years of experience in developing, implementing, and monitoring occupational health, safety, environmental, and social (HSE/ESG) systems across projects and operational environments. His expertise spans risk management, compliance, and capacity building, with a strong focus on creating safe, sustainable, and legally compliant workplaces.
He has practical experience in conducting Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (HIRA) across various work environments, developing and implementing Health and Safety Management Systems (HSMS), preparing key instruments such as Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), Occupational Health and Safety Plans, OHS Standard Operating Procedures, Waste Management Plans, and Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), leading incident investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective action planning, designing and delivering health and safety training, including toolbox talks and emergency drills, establishing and managing Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRMs) and stakeholder engagement processes and ensuring compliance with national regulations and international frameworks such as the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework.
He has worked closely with project teams, contractors, and communities to promote a strong safety culture, improve hazard awareness, and ensure effective implementation of mitigation measures. My approach emphasises proactive risk management, continuous improvement, and employee participation to reduce incidents and enhance overall operational performance.
Francis has worked with the Ministries of Research and Environmental Affairs (United Nations Environment Programme) and Labour, the Electricity Supply Company of Malawi (Malawi Emergency Power Restoration Project supported by the World Bank), Millennium Challenge Account Compact 1 under the Ministry of Energy, Vale Logistics Limited and Kayelekera Mine, just to mention a few.
Procurement Specialist
Fyness Matumula
She is an experienced procurement professional, having worked in private, parastatal and government institutions. A highly organised and detail-oriented Procurement Specialist with extensive experience in the Logistics & Supply Chain field. She has worked for institutions such as Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) Ltd, Southern Region Waterboard (SWB), Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). She also has vast experience having worked under various World Bank projects, including Skills Development Project (SDP), Malawi Sector Wide Approach Project 2 (ASWAP SP 2), and Malawi Education Reform Program (MERP). She has good interpersonal skills and handles procurement tasks professionally. She is good at bidding document development, facilitation of internal procurement committee meetings, bid evaluation, contract negotiation and management. She is skilled in developing cost-saving strategies and is a standards-driven, ambitious and professional Procurement Specialist who understands the responsibility that comes with the role.
Assistant Project Procurement Specialist
Isaac Chipatso
A procurement specialist with 15 years of experience working in the civil service, including the Ministry of Health at both Mzuzu and Zomba Central Hospitals, the Department of Geological Survey, the Ministry of Energy, Malawi Electricity Access Project and the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme and the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He is a holder of a Master’s in Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the University of Bolton, UK.
Procurement (Intern)
Tisunge Mwale
A dedicated procurement professional, she has experience in both public at the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) and government; at RCRP-2. She currently supports the team through assisting in procurement planning, vendor research and outreach, purchase order management, contract management, analysing procurement data and supporting procurement projects. She holds a Degree in Procurement and Supply Chain Management from Pentecostal Life University.