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Government keen in disaster management
2007-10-23 09:22:27
By Michael Mbiro
Tanzania has experienced a variety of natural phenomenon and disasters. These disasters have seriously disrupted development gains made over the years.
Past experience shows that drought, floods, epidemics, fire, strong winds, accidents, earthquakes, pest infestations and influx of refugees are major types of hazards in the country.
Disasters have seriously caused loss of lives, damage to properties, infrastructure and environmental degradation. The government is increasingly getting concerned over the country’s vulnerability to disasters.
It is also concerned about the lack of mechanism to reduce the vulnerability, to prepare for the events that may occur and to respond to the people’s needs in an effective way.
These sad events that carried away lives of people and brought damages to livelihoods, have also resulted in an emerging demand for more ``enlightening`` and ``helpful`` information, a demand that is viewed by disaster managers and experts as an excellent opportunity to sell the message of disaster reduction, particularly in disaster-prone countries.
In fighting the vice, the Government has taken various measures in line with the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA).
The government has established a Disaster Management Department, which operates under the Prime Minister`s Office to coordinate disaster risk reduction activities in the country.
It has also established a Disaster Management Training Centre (DMTC) located at the Ardhi University, in Dar es Salaam.
Through this centre, it has managed to train a good number of Disaster Management Managers from the districts, regions, ministries and other related institutions.
Time after time, the government, using its meager resources has been trying to strengthen the Nation`s capacity to deal with disaster risk reduction and ultimately reduce the impact of disasters.
As it is aware that the issue of disaster risk reduction calls for a holistic approach or multi-sectoral approach, the government is collaborating very closely with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states in various Disaster Risk Reduction exercises.
For example, in 2007, in collaboration with the SADC member states, Tanzania organized a successful Exercise Blue Ruvuma, practical rescue exercise that involved SADC Countries Air Forces.
The Armed Forces of East Africa Community (EAC) member states also took part in another exercise dubbed as Exercise Hot Spring held in Uganda in September last year.
The objective of running such exercises was to promote cooperation among the armed forces and disaster management stakeholders in those countries and strengthen the strategies to facilitate quick response in an event of a disaster.
In implementing the Ten-Year Hyogo Declaration and Framework for Action (2005-2015) that targets Disaster Risk Reduction and make the world a safer place to live the government has set a number of goals.
These include ensuring that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation and to identify, assess, and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning.
Others in the list are the use of knowledge, innovation, and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels and lastly, reduce the underlying risk factors.
Since awareness is crucial in disaster risk reduction, the government has been using the media to create awareness to the general public.
Due to this importance, the Government in collaboration with the (UN/International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction - UN/ISDR) organized a two-day workshop for journalists in the country in 2007.
Such training imparted relevant knowledge to the media people in understanding better the subject and can now report better on disaster issues.
The training will also enable journalists in the country contribute effectively in disaster risk reduction, build and develop close collaboration with other stakeholders in the disaster risk reduction.
At the end of the workshop, the journalists formed the Tanzania Media Disaster Risk Reduction Forum that aims at giving the general public relevant information on disaster risk reduction.
The overarching goal of the workshop for Mass Media Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction is to win the media`s full and effective support for, and participation in ongoing efforts to build a culture of safety and resilience at regional, national and local levels that effectively reduce the impact of disasters.
In the current financial year, 2007/08, the government has injected more funds to facilitate quick and smooth response to disasters or in disaster risk reductions.
The other thing that the government has done is the formulation of the Disaster Management Policy, the blue print that elaborates in details and identifies the roles of stakeholders in disaster management.
Secondly, the government has already carried out assessment and identification of hazards in all regions and has come up with the National Operational Guidelines (NOG) on how to prevent, mitigate, get prepared and respond to disasters.
The NOG also identifies the roles of each stakeholder in all stages of disaster management cycle.
Thirdly, the Prime Minister`s Office in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs are all out to repeal Act No.9 of the Disaster Relief of 1990 and enact a new Legislation in accordance with the national policy on disaster management.
The Prime Minister`s Office has prepared a training programme for Disaster Management Committees in the districts and regions to raise their understandings on their roles in disaster risk reduction.
It is also working closely with other nations along the Indian Ocean Zone in setting up the Tsunami Early Warning System.
Tanzania is among the first 26 out 29 sharing boundaries with the Indian Ocean that have already established the Tsunami warning centres that operates 24 hours.
This centre in the country is situated at the Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA).
The other measures taken by the government in favour of disaster risk reduction include establishment of the Division of Environment in the Vice-President`s Office, a move aimed at strengthening the conservation of environment in the country.
Also the government has established the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) on the same line.
The government also enacted an Act for arms control under the same motive of disaster risk reduction, is running essential programmes on poverty reduction by enabling the Small and Medium Enterprises have access to loans, the fight against corruption is also vital in disaster risk reduction, because if corruption is left unchecked may wreak havoc in the society and paralyze the economy.
The government`s advocacy on unity and discouragement of tribalism has great significance in disaster risk reduction as the move has minimized possibilities of tribal clashes.
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