Issued by: SA Communication Service
PRESS RELEASE BY MR M V MOOSA, DEPUTY MINISTER OF PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT REGARDING INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION
On 11 October 1995 South Africa, together with countries all over the world, commemorates the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR Day).
The United Nations, by means of a resolution adopted in 1989 declared the 90's as the decade in which the international community should devote special attention to reduce and mitigate the impact of natural disasters, especially in vulnerable communities. IDNDR Day, like other United Nations commemorative "days" is a promotional opportunity to raise public awareness that "prevention is better than cure".
The theme for IDNDR Day 1995 is "Women and Children - Key to Prevention". This theme was chosen to correspond with and contribute to major UN events, namely the recent World Conference on Women in Beijing during September 1995 and the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations this year. The theme is also in line with the outcome of the first world conference on Natural Disaster Reduction which was held in Yokohama, Japan in May 1994. The Yokohama Strategy and Action Plan for the second half of the decade and beyond, requests a greater emphasis on public awareness of issues facing vulnerable communities, as well as programmes that promote community based approaches to vulnerability reduction.
The typical natural disasters most common in South Africa are severe flooding, droughts and veld fires. Today, the United Nations consider a wide spectrum of factors as contributors to disasters namely poverty, rapid population growth, poorly managed and rapid urbanisation, transitions in cultural practices, environmental degredation, civil strife, lack of awareness and information and abuse of modern technology. However, poverty and rapid population growth are key factors in making communities vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters. The poor and socially disadvantaged communities suffer most from natural disasters and are the least equipped to cope with them.
A typical example is the people living in unplanned settlements. It is estimated that possibly more than 100 000 people in South Africa are living along rivers and streams below the floodline where they are at great risk of losing their lives and property during heavy flooding. In addition, fires in informal settlements during the last year destroyed thousands of dwellings causing considerable hardship and disruption amongst the affected communities. Women and children are usually the main victims of such traumatic events.
By focusing on women and children as pro-active roleplayers in disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness, IDNDR Day 1995 can contribute to a better understanding and public awareness of issues related to disaster prone communities. IDNDR Day can also serve as a vehicle for joint action to identify successful programmes where women and children are keys to a disaster prevention. More often than not, the burden of keeping family members alive, feeding and caring for others, fall mainly on the woman's shoulders. When a dramatic natural event upturns daily life and destroys basic infrastructure, this burden is worsened. By providing support to women and including them (and their children) in the planing and management of disaster preparedness programmes, this will undoubtedly help to reduce suffering and death as a result of natural disasters.
The main object of a disaster management programme is to try and prevent or reduce the effects of disasters and not merely to cope with disasters once they have occurred. A culture of prevention and preparedness must therefore be created within communities, especial- ly within the context of sustainable development. Disaster Management should therefore form an integral part of the RDP in creating sus- tainable development in all communities and in the process endeavour to reduce those risks to which they are most vulnerable.
Following a Cabinet Resolution on 28 June 1995, the RSA actions are currently aimed at establishing the concept as well as the structures of disaster management on national and provincial level. As soon as these structures are in place, the focus will shift to community involvement. The IDNDR-Day will in future, through the National Disaster Management Committee, receive more prominence.
ENQUIRIES: Ms R Bessinger Department of Constitutional Development SUNNYSIDE, PRETORIA
Tel: (012) 44-2297 Fax: (012) 341-8452
Issued by Mpho Mosimane - Media Liason - Deputy Ministry for Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development.