Anesu Pedzisayi
The past few days have proven to be challenging to the victims of cyclone Idai and the country at large as Zimbabweans are coming to grips with the aftermath of the destructive cyclone. It has been an emotional rollercoaster as families worry over their loved ones, homes and property destroyed and the trauma of putting to rest the deceased. Worse off, some families are still looking for their relatives who have not yet been accounted for and worst still some these might not found as reports of bodies crossing into Mozambique with the flood waters are being made.
However, there has also been a great show of unity and solidarity from Zimbabweans at large. Significant and commendable humanitarian assistance has been coming through from individuals, churches, private companies, civil organisations; all complementing Government’s efforts towards bringing immediate relief to the victims.
Presently, temporary measures are being established, making sure that victims get the basics they need to cope, until permanent measures are put into place. However, there is need for Zimbabwean to learn from such disasters, so that the next time natural disasters happen, an ever quicker response is implemented to avoid unnecessary loss of life. Fatalities are unavoidable in such disasters but they can be reduced.
It has become evident that it is not possible for men to stop fate, even when they saw it beforehand. There were warnings, pending the cyclone, and unfortunately, it hit worse than the people and Government anticipated. Several critical issues came out of the catastrophe that Zimbabwe as a nation has to adopt. The country need a viable disaster management system, that should look at measures that can be implemented before and after the disaster.
The talk on climate change has been on a global discussion platform for a while now. There has been a significant shift and noticeable change in seasons. However, it seems there still exist a huge information gap in empowering citizens on climate change. There is need for aggressive participatory climate change education that should be coordinated by interested stakeholders. For example, the Civil Protection Unit should embark on intense awareness campaigns, educating people so that they have an in-depth understanding of what climate change is and its impact. There are well known areas prone to natural disasters and provisions should always be in place to make sure that these areas are constantly advised of the risks they are prone to.
To further decentralise access to information on climate change efforts, the involvement of Members of Parliament should be encouraged. Rallies and gatherings should be used to educate and inform constituencies on any changes that affect them, including climate change and pending natural disasters, if and when identified. In case of threats, people would have the know-how of pending disasters, thus necessitating quick response when there is need for evacuation or implementation of safety measures.
The role of the media, both public and private, to inform and educated the nation, in the face of a natural disaster, should not be under-estimated. The power of social media should also not be overlooked. The media should be able to give coordinated, factual and updated reports, before and during a disaster. The media should not only be limited to the radio, television and print. Roadshows promoting awareness campaigns should be embarked on in full force, well in advance before a disaster strikes. Pamphlets should be distributed, ideally in vernacular languages that the people in disaster prone areas are familiar with.
Disaster risk reduction, considering that it is on-going, does come with a certain price as it can be expensive. This is where the involvement of civil society organisations should be felt, as they partner with CPU and Government, so that projects become long term and sustainable. Most NGOs are already working with communities from the grass-root level, therefore integration of disaster risks programs would not be difficult.
The onus of preparing for disasters should not only fall on Government and the civil organisations. Citizens have the responsibility to heed to preparedness calls so that when disaster strikes, human life is preserved. It is apparent that in times of disasters, it is not an easy task to have people evacuate beforehand from their homes. Citizens have to learn and appreciate that Government has their best interests at heart and should trust its intentions.
More work lies ahead, work to rebuild what has been destroyed. The work goes beyond rebuilding of physical structures, but also rebuilding the humane and emotional essence of communities as well. Like President Mnangagwa always says, there should always be unity, peace and love for our country to fully develop and move forward. As a nation united, Zimbabwe can overcome the disaster it is facing and those yet to come.
