UN official hails Namibia's drought risk management policy
Namibia's efforts in developing and implementing a strong National Drought Risk Management policy is the right approach, a United Nations official said Monday.
Luc Gnacadja, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), made this observation during a media conference prior to the opening of the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the UNCCD in Windhoek.
"I call on countries, the UN, international institutions and business community to provide support to enable Namibia to move beyond crisis management and adopt strong preparedness and risk management strategies," Namibia Press Agency (Nampa) quoted him as saying.
Gnacadja said that over the years, Namibia has won many battles in the face of harsh conditions.
As the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia provides the best model for its ability to adapt to an ecosystem prone to drought.
On challenges brought on by the current drought particularly in northern parts of the country, the UNCCD official said he is confident the battle will be won and is encouraged by the leadership of Namibian president Hifikepunye Pohamba in addressing the crisis.
The Namibian National Disaster Risk Management policy involves a shift away from a perception that disasters are rare occurrences managed by emergency rescue and support services.
The approach requires an improved capacity for early warning and for tracking, monitoring and disseminating information on phenomena and activities which trigger disaster events.
The policy considers existing coping mechanisms of vulnerable communities, households and individuals by advocating the enhancement of coping capacities in affected communities.
It also calls for improved institutional emergency preparedness and response capacity at local, regional and national levels, and implies increased commitment to strategies to prevent disasters and mitigate their severity.
Namibia is experiencing its worst drought in over 30 years.