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Home » Climate Change, Extreme Events, Public Health & Resettlement in Malawi: Public, Policy, Science & Technology Perspectives, Leveraging Deep Learning and Data Science Solutions

Climate Change, Extreme Events, Public Health & Resettlement in Malawi: Public, Policy, Science & Technology Perspectives, Leveraging Deep Learning and Data Science Solutions

A Joint Symposium with Indabax Malawi & Center for Artificial Intelligence and STEM (CAIST) at the Malawi University of Science and Technology

Quick Info

Symposium Dates: August 24-25

Symposium Times: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST

Location: Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), Blantyre, Malawi    

Participants Registration:

If you are interested in participating in the symposium in person or remotely please register here.

Deadline for in person participants registration: August 17 (closed)

Deadline for remote participants registration: August 22

Important notes:

There is no registration fee for attending or presenting in this symposium.

Symposium organizers are unable to support travel & accommodation for participants and presenters.

BACKGROUND

Climate Change is impacting all countries, however more vulnerable countries are impacted disproportionally by the climate change and its resulting more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Malawi is among the highest impacted countries by the climate change. These events such as cyclones, create significant social, health, economic, and environmental impacts in Malawi. Certain settlements are so frequently impacted by the extreme events and their economic and health consequences that governments and humanitarian agencies have been developing resettlement policies and programs to relocate and resettle some of the settlements to safer locations where possible. Resettlement or relocation is very challenging for people and governments from many different aspects. It is often considered as a last resort development policy that requires careful assessments and planning, social and political acceptance, and engagement, as well as financial supports. This symposium brings together academics, professionals, and policy makers to share ideas, research findings, technology tools, scientific methodologies, and perspectives on climate change induced extreme events, disaster risks, resettlement and public health issues in Malawi. Joined by the Indabax Malawi and the Center for Artificial Intelligence and STEM (CAIST) this symposium will focus on leveraging Data science, Artificial intelligence, machine learning and  Deep learning in solving problems related to climate change, extreme events, public health and disaster risk reduction.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The main goals and objectives of this two day symposium are:

  • Discussing and examining climate change/extreme disaster event public health issues and their resettlement/relocation challenges.
  • Examining and understanding resettlement after recent tropical cyclones in Malawi.
  • Sharing and exchanging knowledge around post disaster resettlement/relocation issues and potential role that science including citizen science and technology can solve these issues.
  • Presenting the results of feasibility studies (simulation & modelling) of resettlement/relocation in Malawi
  • Examining some of the potential relocation cases in Malawi.
  • Co-creating decision making and awareness raising tools for resettlement/relocation planning and decision making.
  • Examining the role that science and technology including Deep Learning, Data Science, Modeling, Serious Games, and Simulation can play in making informed decisions regarding climate change adaptation, extreme event predictions, public health impacts and modeling, disaster risk reduction, relocation and resettlement.

TARGET AUDIENCES/PARTICIPANTS

  • Faculty members of different disciplines
  • Researchers
  • Students
  • Policy makers
  • Professionals (climate change, public health, disaster & emergency management, resettlement)
  • Representatives of NGOs

DAY 1 THURSDAY AUGUST 24 9:00AM-4:30PM (GMT+1) : Climate Change, Extreme Events, Public Health & Resettlement/Relocation in Southern Malawi Symposium: Understanding the Problems

Registration: 08:30-09:00

09:00-09:10 Welcome Notes

Speakers: Professor M. Kamndaya, Executive Dean of Faculty of Applied Science, MUBAS,

Session 1

19:10AM-10:30 AM: Climate Change, Extreme Events and Public Health

Chair: Ali Asgary, York University

Speaker 1: Faides Mwale, T. Chakwantha and S. Manda

Title:  Disaster Risk Management in Malawi and the Disaster Management Framework: Insights from Cyclone Freddy

Speaker 2: Tabata Fioretto, IOM

Title:  Multisectorial assessment, safe and dignified relocation process: Pilot Relocation Plan Chiradzulu

Speaker 3: Amelia Taylor, MUBAS

Title: Machine Learning for Climate Science and Earth Observation

10:30-11:00 Coffee Break & Networking

Session 2

11:00 AM-12:30 PM: Policy & Research Presentations: Examining Climate Change, Extreme Events and Resettlement Challenges

Chair: Dickson Chinguwo

Speakers 1: Sosten Chiota, James Orbinski, Ali Asgary, Mohammadali Tofighi, & Jochen Schubert and Richard Mathews.

Title: Modelling Climate Change & Public Health in Lake Chilwa Basin

Speaker 2: Dennis Amadi, Health Emergencies Officer, World Health Organization

Title: Unveiling the Shifting Landscape of Disease Trends: A DHIS2 Analysis Spanning 2020 to March 2023 immediate after cyclone Freddy

12:30-01:30 Lunch & Networking

Session 3

1:30 – 2:30: Public Engagement & Awareness

Chair: James Orbinski

Speakers 1: Ali Asgary & Tabata Fioretto

Title: Road to Resettlement Game

Speaker 2: Goodall Salima, Inq Inc.

Title: Leveraging AI and Machine Learning to provide an affordable Next Generation Firewall with inq Secure

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM Coffee Break & Networking

Session 4

3:00PM-4:00PM Climate Change: Weather Prediction and Access to Healthcare

Chair: Faides Mwale

Speaker 1: Robert Galatiya Suya, Lecturer, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS)

Title: Unravelling Weather Prediction through Deep Learning and GNSS Approaches in Malawi (Remote)

Speaker 2: Mulekya Francis, Regional Migration Health Programme Coordinator, IOM

Title: Promoting cross-border migrants' access to healthcare within the climate change-migration context: experiences of migrants and stakeholders in seven neighbouring countries in Southern Africa (Remote)

Speaker 3: Walgak Chuol, Environment and Climate Change Specialist, INTERCEDE

Title: Impact of climate change in less developing nations (Remote)


DAY 2 FRIDAY AUGUST 25 9:00AM-4:00PM (EST)- Climate Change, Extreme Events, Public Health & Resettlement/Relocation in Southern Malawi Symposium: Problem Solutions

09:00-09:10 Welcome Notes

Session 1

9:10 AM-10:30 AM: Examining Potential Technology Solutions and Methodologies for Climate Change, Extreme Events, Public Health and Resettlement

Chair: Amelia Taylor

Speaker 1: Charles Chimwemwe Phiri, Executive Director - SME AI/ML Innovation, JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Title: Harnessing Technology to Address the Emerging Challenges

Speaker 2: Dickson Chinguwo

Title: Using Masdap platform to obtain datasets

Speaker 3: Carl Bruesow, Chairman of the Mulanje Conservation Trust, Malawi

Title: TBA

Speaker 4: Patrick Kalonde, PhD Student, Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust

Title: Flood Mapping in Malawi: Unleashing the Power of Every Tool in Our Arsenal!

10:30 AM -11:00 AM Coffee Break & Networking

Session 2

11:00 AM-1:00 PM: Scientific & Technological Solutions (Deep Learning, Data Science, Simulation and Modeling) Presentations & Workshops

Chair: Richard Mathews, University of California Irvine

Speaker 1: Ndapile Mkuwu, African Drone & Data Academy

Title: Elevating Risk & Disaster Management through Drones

Speaker 2: Ali Asgary

Title: Virtual Reality Simulation of Chiradzulu Landslide with Live Demo

Speaker 3: Clinton, Nkolokosa, Geospatial Analyst, MSc Research Fellow, Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme

Title: AI-assisted segmentation of flood water from a drone imagery: A case of Kachulu, Lake Chilwa Basin of Malawi

Speaker 4: Mathews Jere, Student University of Malawi

Title: Improving Mobile-Based Early Skin Disease Diagnosis for Melanin-Rich Skins

Speaker 5: Hugues Burrows, UNICEF

Title: Observations and reflections on the IPC/WASH situation in CTC/CTUs in the Lilongwe and Blantyre districts

12:30PM-1:30PM Lunch Break and Networking

Organizers

Dr. Amelia Tylor, Lecturer at the University of Malawi, The Polytechnic

Dr. Harold Wilson Tumwitike Mapoma, Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of Faculty for Applied Sciences at MUBAS


Dr. Faidess Dumbizgani Mwale, Department of Civil Engineering, MUBAS


Dr. Mpatso Kamndaya,  Associate Professor & Dean of Faculty of Applied Sciences

Dr. Michael Zimba, Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, African Union Contributing Expert on Artificial Intelligence, Director of the Malawi Institute of Technology,

Dr. Bennet Kankuzi, Head, Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Malawi

CIFAL York

Dr. Ali Asgary, Associate Professor of Disaster & Emergency Management & Director of CIFAL York

Dr. James Orbinski, Professor & Director of Dadaleh Institute for Global Health Research

Dr. Sosten Chiotha, Regional Director of the Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Southern and Eastern Africa

AI4PEP

Dr. Jude Kong, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, York University & Executive Director, Global South AI for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Network (AI4PEP)

Sponsor

INQ

Sponsor

Sponsors & Additional Information

If interested sponsoring this event or have questions about the symposium program please contact Dr. Ali Asgary: asgary@yorku.ca or Dr. Amelia Tylor: ataylor@mubas.ac.mw