Issued by: Department of constitutional Development
MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE CELEBRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DECADE FOR NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION ON WEDNESDAY, 14 OCTOBER 1998.
In terms of Resolution 44/236 of 22 December 1989, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the 1990's as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). The aim of this focus was to reduce loss of life, property damage and economic disruption from natural disasters through concerted international actions, especially in developing countries.
The United Nations World Disaster Reduction Campaigns, organised by the IDNDR Secretariat, are designed to make people aware, world-wide, and across all professional and social sectors, of what they can do to protect their countries and communities from natural hazards. The campaigns are based on a different theme each year, and various activities are organised as part of them.
Each campaign culminates on United Nations World Disaster Reduction Day which is celebrated on the second Wednesday of October. This year, IDNDR-Day will be celebrated world-wide on 14 October 1998. The theme is "Natural Disaster Prevention and the Media" and its slogan is "Prevention begins with Information".
The aim of the 1998 UN world Disaster Reduction Campaign is to enlist the media as working partners in promoting natural disaster prevention measures. The ability to reduce social and economic risks from natural hazards requires the adoption of a global culture of prevention based on information and its widespread communication. Information and its communication through the media is therefore a crucial link in the chain of sound natural disaster prevention measures and awareness building.
Over recent years, countries and communities all over the world have repeatedly been reminded of the devastating force of natural disasters. At least three million people have lost their lives in disasters during the last 30 years and hundreds of million people have been affected.
The following gives some idea of the magnitude of natural disasters on a global scale:
Many countries have already reported significant progress in natural disaster reduction activities during the past half-decade. Good examples are the minimal loss of life (less than ten lives lost per event) during hurricanes in the USA and floods in the Rhine River in Europe. Another very recent comparison is two tropical cyclones that occurred in Andhra Pradesh in India. The Krishna cyclone of 1977 resulted in the loss of 9 060 lives and 145 000 houses destroyed, whereas the Godavari cyclone of November last year resulted in 1 053 lives being lost while 334 500 houses were destroyed. Due to the recently introduced warning system, there was an appreciable decrease in loss of life despite the destruction of more than twice the number of houses. The overall world-wide picture that is emerging, is a reduction in loss of life due to more efficient warning systems coupled with awareness programmes.
Most countries, including South Africa, have very efficient rescue and rehabilitation services, and the authorities entrusted with this responsibility are often given the wider responsibility of disaster mitigation activities. However, there is growing concern that these two activities - rescue and prevention - are incompatible in that rescue is a short-term emergency response while prevention (principally vulnerability) is a continuous process involving different organisations with different objectives. This shift in emphasis recently manifested itself in the UN activity reports where natural disaster reduction is now discussed under the Agenda item of "Sustainable Development and the Environment". This is important as it places the subject squarely in relation t the protection of assets and the building of capabilities rather than emergency responses to isolated events.
HOW RELEVANT ARE THE IDNDR ACTIVITIES TO SOUTH AFRICA?
This question can best be answered by the following extract from the editorial of the IDNDR sponsored monthly publication "STOP disasters", under the heading "DISASTER REDUCTIONS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT".
"Many recent disasters had their main impact in urban areas. Uncontrolled urbanisation increases disaster risk with the urban poor exposed to the highest risks. They are forced by the circumstances to occupy the hazard-prone lands and lack the skills and economic opportunities to effectively reduce the risks to which they are exposed, or even prepare for the disasters to come. Local governments do not always consider the impact their decisions have on the vulnerability of communities to disasters. Disaster mitigation measures are possible at limited or no cost, but measures are often not taken. This is due to a number of factors, including the lack of attention for disaster issues in the development sectors, limited knowledge about possible solutions, and a lack of resources and experience at the local level to reduce community vulnerability.
Relationships between sustainable development and disaster reduction should be recognised as natural disasters that can be reduced only if the risks are analysed and taken into account in an overall urban planning. The city management should be prepared and ready to cope with potential disasters. Communities need to have a realistic understanding of the risk to which they are exposed, and have the knowledge, ability, and resources to take adequate protective measures. High risk situations, particularly related to critical infrastructure, technological hazards, and informal settlements, need to be addressed through specific disaster mitigation programs."
Disaster reduction and sustainable development are mutually supportive goals and sustainable development is impossible if existing risk levels are not reduced. There is a need for concerted action linking government sectors, non-governmental and other organisations of civil society, universities, international organisations and the private sector as the only way of negotiating successful policy initiatives to reduce risks. Based on world-wide experience, the above accurately reflects the position in South Africa where tens of thousands of people are at risk in urban and peri-urban areas.
SHORT TERM OBJECTIVES
In the short term the only viable options to reduce the loss of life are early warning systems couples with awareness programmes. This applies particularly to floods which can cause the greatest loss of life in a single event, and where disaster mitigation measures are not costly. For example more than 170 people lost their lives in the Edenvale Valley near Pietermaritzburg on Christmas Day, 1995. An awareness programme costing a few hundred Rands, and a simple flood warning system consisting of a watchman on the river bank with a whistle or gong could have saved at least 100 lifes.
The greatest losses of life in South Africa caused by floods during the past fifteen years were as follows:
All the above mentioned floods happened in small communities and floods of this magnitude occur about once in four years on average. It is only a matter of time before a really serious flood disaster occurs in a densely populated area. There is therefore an urgent need in South Africa for the implementation of a national flood management policy including a national flood warning system coupled with a national flood awareness programme.
Issued by the Department of Constitutional Development on 13 October 1998
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