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5.2.5. Budgeting for disaster management and Insurance To successfully address the various facets of disaster management,
budgeting will become and remain a key factor. Provision will have to be made to more effectively fund the consequences
of a disaster. With an improved process of identifying disasters
and mitigating against them, the medium-term expenditure process
can be used to support disaster management. State funds allocated for disaster management can be allocated
in the following ways:
How the disaster relief fund works However, expenditures to support disaster management are inevitably
constrained. This will require that current resources from all
roleplayers are rationalised and used more efficiently within
and between services and departments. In the long-term, effective
hazard and risk assessments and mitigation measures should reduce
the severity of disasters, and the requirement for large emergency
funds. Funding for such measures should become a part of all development
programmes. The mobilisation of state financial resources in a pre-emptive
manner allows the state to respond quickly in utilising available
and allocated resources to cushion against the impacts of disasters
if they occur. However, it should be noted that relief for disasters
is not automatic; each disaster must be assessed. For instance,
farmers will not receive state assistance if they have failed
to take mitigating measures, however severe a drought may be. State central functions or a national disaster management centre
can also assist in coordinating international sources of funding
if the severity of a disaster is beyond the resources of the government
(this is only likely to happen in the case of wide regional disasters). It is important, however, to note that the state only usually
becomes involved in relief when whole communities are afflicted
with a disaster. It is also very difficult for the state to give
a priority undertaking as to the cover it offers for potential
flood damage. State assistance is determined on the merits of
each case. Insurance cover is another mechanism to protect individuals, companies
and the public sector against damage. In general, the state does
not provide cover to individuals and private entities - this is
largely the role of the private sector. Presently, the private
sector does have a range of insurance products mainly against
fire, hail, to some extent flood and other forms of disasters
that may cause damage to property or the loss of life. There is
still a lot of room to find ways of integrating insurance policies
in an innovative way as part of an overall disaster management
strategy. Points of debate and key questions
5.2.6. Use of financial incentives There are possible incentive mechanisms such as tax rebates and
the use of targeted subsidies that can be applied by government
to shift away from dependency on state provision of relief assistance.
Such incentive measures should also be designed to encourage the
implementation of mitigation and prevention strategies, thus also
enhancing a speedy recovery where disasters could not be prevented. The financial assistance, for instance, given to farmers as part
of drought relief does not, in its present form, encourage implementing
mitigation strategies. During droughts, the use of blanket subsidies led in the past
to the perpetuation of an agricultural system of production that
was not obliged to adapt to the occurrence of periodic drought
phenomena in this part of the world. On the other hand, Insurance
cover in cases of drought encourages early recovery from disasters,
which is consistent with long-term sustainable goals. Proposals
within the agriculture sector are being explored to examine the
possibilities for using part subsidisation of insurance policies
of small farmers as a way of reducing their vulnerability to drought
effects. Considerable research and work needs to be done to identify the
appropriate incentive mechanisms and how best they could be applied
administratively. Points of debate and key questions
The greater the vulnerability of the population to natural disasters,
and the smaller the budget available for disaster reduction measures,
the greater the need for research required to determine the most
cost-effective measures for risk reduction. Consequently, the
need for research and training increases as the availability of
funds decreases. Presently, very little research on disaster management
is being undertaken in South Africa, especially in the human sciences,
as most risk reduction and disaster management approaches have
relied on technological or engineering solutions. Research is a key support mechanism for any activity and thus
disaster management should also undertake research projects or
study those aspects that have already been researched. Every region, department or activity will have to determine its
own research needs. However, key aspects could include:
Points of debate and key questions
Training: It is clear that many institutions ranging from health,
fire to others have training programmes that are designed to ensure
personnel are able to deal with emergency situations. Given that
disaster management involves a wide ranging field of expertise,
the question is: should future training needs be best met with
a dedicated programme of training for disaster management, or
should training needs be designed that augment and integrate into
existing programmes? The use of existing entry routes may help
to cover a wider constituency than having a dedicated training
programme specifically for disaster management. The main emphasis
here being on integration. Many services and training institutions have compiled, or are
in the process of compiling, various training courses and modules
that address or impact upon disaster management issues. Careful consideration should be given as to how best to comprehensively
address the training and education requirements for disaster management.
Considerations should include: Education and public awareness: Education is critical at the more
general level. There is a dire need to improve public awareness
and education, especially regarding preparedness and risk reduction
and what to do in cases of disaster. Awareness campaigns could
be targeted at primary, secondary and tertiary education. Less formal mechanisms such as media and other public forums should
be used to carry the disaster management message to the broader
public. Public awareness programmes for disaster management are
more cost-effective if they make use of existing resources such
as current institutions and other platforms for sharing information.
Such public awareness campaigns around disaster management can
be a component of health, environmental and other forms of awareness
programmes already being conducted by government institutions,
non-governmental organisations, and the private sector. Public
awareness programmes are aimed at reinforcing the relationship
between functionaries and society. Points of debate and key questions
5.2.9. Planning and setting of standards Planning is required to reduce vulnerability. It is also required
to ensure that mechanisms are in place to reduce the risks and
impacts of disasters when they occur. A major feature of the new
disaster management approach is that it attempts to understand
the causes of vulnerability and risk. This includes taking into
account socio-economic, environmental and others factors that
worsen the impacts of recurrent threats. Based on the assessment
of risks and hazards that the country faces, planning for such
things as building dams or improving water storage capacity in
the face of El-Nino can be structured in advance. Depending on the geographic location and targeting the most vulnerable
sectors of our society, plans can be put in place that can be
implemented at the national, provincial, local or community level.
Mitigating against disasters requires implementation and participation
at all levels. The development of contingency plans at different
layers of government intervention must be designed to meet the
needs and specificity of each agency and area. Planning for disasters
is even more crucial in South Africa given the range of social,
economic and cultural diversity that exists in the country. This
diversity presents unique problems for disaster management. A typical plan provides for the following: There is also a need for a systematic set of guidelines and standards
that are adhered to within the different sectors. Several departments
and agencies have established these. There is, however, a need
for greater coordination between departments and agencies undertaking
certification and the issuing of licenses or permits. For instance
the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) investigates and
approves various products that are imported into the country.
By working more closely with relevant ministries, the SABS can
set criteria for products which meet the risk reduction criteria
that departments set for managing or mitigating against disasters. Points of debate and key questions
5.2.10. International agencies for liaison and cooperation Disasters often do not happen within the confines of national
boundaries. South Africa is party and signatory to a number of
international and regional conventions and protocols that either
allow it to access international assistance or act on request
to assist international efforts. International humanitarian assistance should be seen in the broader
context of peace, democracy, human rights, good governance, development,
confidence building, conflict prevention, and peace keeping. Failure
to render humanitarian assistance could, in some cases, lead to
instability and violence, which could spill over into neighbouring
countries and lead to a far greater problem in the region as a
whole. Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief by South Africa
should form part of a United Nations (UN) Security Council-sanctioned
peacekeeping operation or be given in response to a UN, Organisation
for African Unity or SADC appeal for assistance. It should also
be undertaken in response to a request from the affected state
or interest group (e.g., refugees or victims of a disaster/conflict). It therefore makes good sense to establish and enhance regional
cooperation and liaison, structures. The establishment of a core
Southern Africa disaster management centre, attached to one of
the SADC countries' disaster management structures at its national
level is thus a priority. South Africa already has cooperative
agreements with SADC member states in the areas of defence, policing,
intelligence, drought and health. These are also being extended
in other areas of relevance to disaster management, such as communication,
transport, etc. International and regional cooperation should also be expanded
- in particular with UN agencies rendering international relief
aid and giving advice on implementing disaster management. The
exchange of information could lead to a broadening of the research
network and so boost the planning process and make it potentially
more cost-effective. It is becoming increasingly difficult for international organisations
to provide aid efficiently and effectively. This is because, apart
from logistical problems, the responsibilities of some of the
actors are not clearly defined and coordination is inadequate. The UN acknowledged the need to coordinate responses to disasters
at a global level, when, in 1992, it established the Department
of Humanitarian Affairs. Under this department a project for humanitarian
assistance - the military and civil protection/defence assets
project - was launched. This project requires that every participating
country establish a single coordination point for its participation
in UN-led humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. In South Africa all requests for humanitarian assistance and disaster
relief from the international community should be coordinated
by the Department of Foreign affairs. Similarly, all assistance
to other states afflicted by a disaster should be coordinated
by that department. The department budgets annually for funds
for international humanitarian assistance. Points of debate and key questions
Green Paper on Disater Management Index | Top of page General | 1. Introduction | 2. Key principles for a Disaster Management policy | 3. Different approaches to Disaster Management | 4. Current situation in managing diasaters | 5. Ensuring that a system for Disaster Management is in place
| 6. Intergovernmental and civil society co-operation and co-ordination | 7. Glossary | Contents