The Civil Defence Commis-sion (CDC) says that measures are being put in place to address drought, at the second in a series of public consultations on the drafting of a National Multi-Hazard Preparedness and Response Plan held recently at the Culture ministry.
CDC Director General Col (rtd) Chabilall Ramsarup spoke to the audience which comprised stakeholders from several institutions and organisations, about the importance of being prepared for any possible disaster and having the resources, capability and technical knowledge to deal with such occurrences. According to a GINA report, he said though the plans are fine-tuned, they cannot stand alone but must be exercised to test their effectiveness and expose any gaps or loopholes that need to be remedied.
Ramsarup said the current plans address all possible disasters except drought but this will soon be remedied by a contracted consultant. The health and security sectors are currently updating their specific plans and these revisions will be incorporated into a master plan.
The director general also noted that the CDC does not have all the answers and as such it champions the role of community stakeholders who may possess greater knowledge of issues and challenges relevant to their specific communities.
Meanwhile, Deputy Operations and Training Officer Shaun Welcome outlined plans to institute a formal policy that will be crafted and presented to Cabinet for approval; along with the necessary funding to coordinate and improve disaster responses.
In her address, United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) Deputy Resident Representative Chisa Mikami underscored the importance of preparation to lessen the potential impact of natural disasters on the lives of citizens.
Mikami told the audience that being prepared makes the difference between those affected in continuing with their lives and others succumbing. “We have seen from the 2005 and 2006 floods that disasters can have widespread impact, causing not only harm and damage to lives, buildings and infrastructure, but also impairing economic activities and seriously jeopardising the possibility for future sustainable development of the country,” she said.
The UNDP official also said that given the high costs associated with many disasters, it is critical to set up measures to manage the chances and possible impacts through prevention, mitigation and preparedness. “This should be seen as a milestone on the path to sustainable development and an opportunity for better coordination, dialogue, mutual learning and enhanced synergies.” She noted that disaster risk management is a dynamic process that needs to be constantly updated. According to GINA, stakeholders were also given an opportunity to pose questions and the audience was invited to submit suggestions to the CDC website. UNDP has been playing a key role in enhancing the CDC’s capability and capacity, in concert with the Inter-American Development Bank. Both organisations were recognised for their roles in this regard.
