By Emma Kakololo
WINDHOEK
Government is currently evolving a policy for the direction and guidance of all agencies associated with disaster management. Yesterday a consultation meeting was held with stakeholders to get different views on the first draft of the policy. Over the past years, Namibia has witnessed an increase in the frequency and severity of natural and man-made disasters.
In 2006 alone, the country suffered from more than 10 flooding episodes that caused massive damage to property and displacement of many, while veld fires destroyed over 500 000 hectares of pasture, with both wild and domestic livestock suffering. Yesterday, Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Nangula Mbako said the policy was crucial for the national emergency management system.
“The Caprivi Region is just recovering from a flood emergency that displaced 7 000 people and Ohangwena and Kunene regions experienced cholera outbreaks that caused loss of life. Some parts of the country are experiencing acute water and food shortages in the face of current drought.
“There is therefore a need to review the existing legislation in order to reflect Namibia’s political dispensation as well as the integration of the new approaches to disaster risk management, that aim to mainstream disaster risk reduction into development planning at all levels.”
Mbako said a comprehensive and integrated approach to disaster management was a must and should be based on a sector-wide partnership between government departments, civil societies, non-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies, the private sector and communities. Such a partnership, she said, would ensure coordination and avoid duplication and delays in action during eventualities.
“The need for a comprehensive policy cannot therefore be overemphasised.”
She added: “Policies alone do not help and cannot be effective unless all stakeholders including the communities at village level embrace a culture of safety. It is known that accidents such as veld fires are started through a lack of proper care. Road accidents have been primarily due to proper care compounded by varying degrees of negligence. Some of our people continue to build their homes in identified flood-prone areas.”
The permanent secretary said disasters have a negative impact on the economy and were a setback to development, and also result in diversion of scarce national resources from productive investment to relief and emergency operations, therefore the policy would be one of the tools to guide disaster risk reduction activities.