by Grace Chekai
The Government of Zimbabwe yesterday joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, which was set up by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Speaking in a statement yesterday, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable July Moyo said, “Today the 13th of October 2020, we join the World in commemorating the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. The 13th of October every year is a day that was set up by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction to promote a global culture of disaster risk reduction.
“This is an opportunity to recognize the progress being made towards reducing disaster risk and losses to lives, property, infrastructure and livelihoods.”
Minister Moyo said the commemoration was in line with the current Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which was approved at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in March 2015 in Japan.
The framework seeks to reduce disaster risk and loss of lives, livelihoods, social, physical, cultural and environmental assets.
Minister Moyo further said that his ministry organized a national preparedness planning workshop for the 2020/2021 rainfall season, which was successfully conducted from 23-25 September 2020 against the backdrop of a La Nina-inclined forecast, which might witness some areas experience floods.
He said that the contingency plan for the workshop served as a generic framework, which the country’s devolved sub-national structures can use to develop their local Disaster preparedness plans.
“At this juncture, all sectors should have their Disaster preparedness plans in place. These plans need to address both natural and human-induced hazards.
The Day was commemorated under the theme “Disaster Risk Governance”, and the Minister said this conveyed “the message that some disasters can be avoided and this can only be possible if there are sound disaster risk reduction plans at all levels that are also sensitive to climate change”.
Minister Moyo urged traditional leaders and local authorities to avoid settling people in wetlands and water ways, but to encourage them to construct structures that can withstand extreme weather conditions.
“It is typically important that particular care is taken to ensure that critical infrastructure is built to last by ensuring that location and hazard appropriate planning regulations and building codes are enforced,” he said.
The Minister cited that lessons were learnt from COVID-19 and recurrent climate-related hazards, which led to the loss of many lives and destruction of infrastructure in recent years.
Cyclone Idai that struck Zimbabwe in March 2019, affected approximately 270 000 people leaving 340 people dead and many others missing.
The strategic planning for risk disaster management will therefore provide an analysis of the impacts and review of the disaster response to draw lessons and policy implications for post-disaster institutional development.
