Disaster risk reduction advocacy campaign in all the six administrative regions
The nationwide advocacy campaign involved NDMA and the Department of Water Resources with funding from UNICEF on a 12 day advocacy campaign on DRR in all the six administrative regions. The campaign aimed to bring communities attention to DRR as opposed to disaster response. The humanitarian response to disasters is unsustainable in the long run due to economic crisis the World is facing. In order to lessen the impact of disaster in the communities, Government through NDMA and its partners has taken the initiative to engage communities on reducing their vulnerability and exposure to hazards. The Agency is trying every effort to work with local authorities, Government departments and NGOs at the local level in order to undertake cost effective risk reduction measures to floods and other hazards and to come up with DRR interventions such as land banking, discourage people settling on swampy areas, ideal drainage systems, identification of water ways, etc.
Objective/purpose
• To avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazard events.
• DRR should therefore be addressed as a cross-cutting and development issue
• Invest in and maintain critical infrastructure, that reduces risks, such as flood and drainage system and make adjustments where needed, to cope with climate change.
• Apply and enforce, realistic, risk – compliant building regulations, and land use planning principles, and where feasible, identify safe land, for low income citizens, and develop upgrading, of informal settlements.
• Ensure that education programmes, and training, on disaster risk reduction, are in place, in schools and local communities.
• Ensure that the needs of affected communities are placed, at the centre of reconstruction, of damaged social infrastructure, with the full engagement, of the communities affected.
Lessons learnt
The visit was participatory and interactive to adequately strategise on medium to long term interventions and to address some of the constraints identified which could hinder the smooth implementation of DRR interventions. It will also enable the Agency to enhance its partnership drive to address some of the issues raised.
Recommendations
• To provide funds for more sensitization on DRR at community levels
• Provide funds for the development of integrated regional work plans
• Engage the private sector on the economics of DRR
• The communities to be at the fore front of any DRR interventions
• The UNCT to fully incorporate DRR into their Country Cooperation Programmes; CCA (Common Country Assessment) and UNDAF (United Nation Development Assistance Framework)
• Integrate DRR into National development policies and programmes, sectoral policies and programmes, PRSP II and PAGE