State to reduce local disaster risks
Written by Millennium on May 19, 2019
SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
@SunZambian
GOVERNMENT says it has put in place several measures aimed at substantially increasing the national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020.
Minister in the Office of the Vice President, Sylvia Chalikosa said integrated disaster risk management was of paramount importance if Zambia was to protect its citizens and assets from the adverse effects of disasters.
According to Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) communications officer, Rachael Mupanga, Ms Chalikosa said this during the ongoing sixth session of the 2019 Global Platform for disaster risk reduction in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Platform was being held under the theme “Resilient Dividend; towards sustainable and inclusive societies”.
The Minister said Zambia continued to be at risk of a number of hazards especially climate change related such as drought and floods.
“My Government has put in place several measures aimed at substantially increasing the national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020.
“These strategies should be developed with the full participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities to achieve strong DRR outcomes and should seek to reduce the impact of disasters on the most vulnerable,” Ms Chalikosa said.
She said this year’s platform has again provided an opportunity for taking stock of what has been done since the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in 2015.
Ms Chalikosa further said climate change and variability has equally made it difficult to predict the behavior of hazards. This has resulted in the country experiencing prolonged dry spells in some parts and floods in other parts.
My Government, he added, in collaboration with other stakeholders and in line with global aspirations, has domesticated the Sendai Framework through the development of the National Disaster Risk Management Framework – 2017 to 2030.
The Minister explained that the Framework which feeds into the Seventh National Development Plan was aimed at enhancing the implementation capacity of the country to reduce vulnerability and contribute to resilience and sustainable development.
