Disaster Management preparedness is fundamental

The recent countrywide advocacy campaign on disaster risk reduction by members of the National Disaster Management Agency in collaboration with the Department of Water Resources is indeed a good move.

Such public sensitisation activities at the grassroots for the benefit of local authorities and the technical advisory committees will enable them to map out strategies that would reduce the incidence of man-made disasters, as well as be prepared to respond to natural disasters at the regions.

This sort of exercise would greatly help them to know how best to prevent and control disasters, whenever it happens in their area.

We also commend the efforts by the national disaster agency through its regional disaster coordinators for the support they are rendering to disaster victims.

However, we are very much concerned about the plight of some disaster victims, who have their houses and other buildings destroyed, but only received assistance in the form of food aid.

We want to use this opportunity to appeal to the NGOs and philanthropists to also continue their efforts in helping the disaster victims with building materials.

It is now the duty of both the local authorities and the TACs to relay the information acquired from the campaign to the people at the grassroots level, since information should be shared to facilitate disaster preparedness and adequate response when disaster strikes.

We understand that the regions have to come up with a comprehensive and realistic strategic plan that would address their needs, and we hope that the National Disaster Management Agency would support implementation of the various plans forwarded to them.

This year alone, the country has experienced a lot of floods, so the coming of this sensitization campaign is timely.

The prevention and control of disasters is key, in the management of the socio- economic development of any nation.