Forum on handling disaster
Communities must prepare, experts warn
COMMUNITIES need to be more resilient, prepare themselves for any disaster and then bounce back once it has struck. This is a key theme at this year’s Disaster Risk Reduction Conference, hosted by the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA), in Port Elizabeth.
Delegates from across the country, and visitors from Zimbabwe and New Zealand, are sharing concerns and experiences regarding disaster management at the twoday conference at Wells Estate.
Major concerns still to be discussed include slow-onset disasters, specifically the present drought and water shortages across the country, as well as unexpected disasters such as the recent fires along the Southern Cape.
In respect of both these disasters, the conference aims to identify education and development opportunities that will not only improve the knowledge of disaster management officials, but also empower communities at large – creating more resilient communities.
DMISA executive committee member Dr Johan Minnie said the conference provided a platform for discussion and diverse opinions they hoped would lead to innovation and solutions to disaster concerns, such as the drought.
“In terms of a drought like this, the unfortunate reality is that we should have been thinking about this many, many years ago and investigated development trends in our communities.”
He said things like climate change and urban development had happened much faster than initially anticipated, causing disruptions to water provision, as well as a range of other services.
Ageing and inadequate infrastructure also added pressure to the supply system, making the solution to water shortages just as complex and multifaceted as the cause.
“Assigning responsibility for these disruptions to the people who can deal with them and constantly communicating about them and looking for solutions, will be key to mitigating this disaster.”
In respect of a sudden-onset disaster, like the fires that destroyed hundreds of structures in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay three months ago, Minnie said the conference provided unique opportunities to discuss issues with people who had first-hand experience, like the Eden District Municipality’s disaster management executive staff.
DMISA associate director Dr Mal Reddy said the Knysna disaster had forced all stakeholders to reexamine their roles, and now they had the opportunity to share their experiences and explore possible mitigating measures for when the next disaster struck.
“We must look at risk-reduction measures, take on a more proactive approach and build more disaster-resilient communities.
“The Knysna fires and Cape Town floods tested our contingencies and showed us areas where we could perhaps have acted differently, and that is why we are here at this conference,” Reddy said.
DMISA president Bafana Mazibuko said every session at the conference would have a resolution panel that would investigate mitigating measures over the next year, implement them if possible, and give feedback at next year’s conference on their successes.