WHITE PAPER ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT


Issued by the Department of Constitutional Development, December 1998

CONTENTS

How to read the White Paper

Foreword by the Minister of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development

Section 1: Introduction

  • Purpose of the White Paper
  • Scope and purpose of government policy
  • Key policy proposals
  • Policy process

Section 2: Setting the context

  • The international context
    • Introduction
    • International trends
    • Regional cooperation
    • International agencies
  • The current situation in South Africa
    • Developing a new approach
    • Risk reduction in development planning

Section 3: The National Disaster Management Centre

  • Rationale for the establishment of the National Disaster Management Centre
  • Guiding principles
  • Structure and location of the centre
  • Key functions of the centre
    • Information management
    • Preparation of strategies and plans
    • Assessing vulnerability
    • Coordination and support during disaster and emergency situations
    • Non-emergency situations
    • Conducting audits
    • Training and community awareness

Section 4: Funding disaster management

  • Current financial mechanisms
  • Overview of current funding arrangements
    • Prevention
    • Capacity to respond
    • Immediate relief
      • Local government
      • Provincial government
      • National government
    • Recovery in the post-disaster phase
      • Funds administered by the Department of Welfare
      • Contingency reserve
      • The Exchequer Act
      • Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act
    • Expediting tender procedures
  • Problems with current mechanisms
    • General
    • Prevention
    • Capacity to respond
    • Immediate relief
    • Recovery in the post-disaster phase
  • Proposals for future funding arrangements
    • General
    • Guiding principles
    • National arrangements
      • Release of funds in an emergency
      • Immediate relief to individuals
      • Funding repairs to damaged infrastructure
      • Expediting tender procedures
    • Provincial and local government arrangements
      • Budgeting
      • Financing shortfalls
      • Capacity building options
      • Incentives
      • Punitive measures
    • Insurance
    • Funding of training and community awareness programmes
    • Funding the National Disaster Management Centre

Section 5: A national Disaster Management Act

  • Rationale for a national Disaster Management Act
  • Process
  • Linkages with other legislation
  • Limitations
  • Constitutional context
  • Scope
  • Disaster declarations
    • Rationale for disaster declarations
    • Determining the magnitude of the disaster
  • The establishment of the Disaster Management Centre
  • Establishment of provincial and local disaster management structures
  • Disaster management plans
    • Rationale
    • Incentives and punitive measures
  • Other relevant provisions
    • Immunity from liability
    • Minister responsible
    • Definitions

Section 6: Training and community awareness

  • The current situation
  • A framework for disaster management training and community awareness programmes
    • Objectives
    • Needs analyses
    • Target groups
    • Training for key target groups
      • Training of government officials and policy makers
      • Professional training
      • Training of trainers
      • Community-based training
      • Development of curricula for schools
      • Formal training
      • Training of volunteers
    • Standards setting
    • Training material
    • Accreditation and registration
    • Resource base
    • Research
    • International cooperation

Section 7: Conclusion

  • Summary of significant features of the policy
  • Implementation tools

Appendices

  • Appendix 1: Table of current funding mechanisms for disaster management
  • Appendix 2: Glossary of terms

Acknowledgements

 


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