… UN Resident Coordinator advices at International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
BY OWETHU DLAMINI
EZULWINI- “Mobilise action for greater investment in expanding early warning and early action for all.”
These sentiments were shared by the UN Resident Coordinator, Deepak Shah, during his remarks at the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Workshop which was commemorating the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction at Royal Villas in Ezulwini.
The event was in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
Shah shared that this workshop had been crucial in mobilising data and information from different sectors across the country upon which to took the necessary action to address disaster risk reduction.
“Eswatini is particularly vulnerable to the increasing frequency of and severity of climate-related impacts such as droughts, floods, lighting and hailstorms. The climate crisis that faces our world has been well demonstrated in Eswatini, including most recently by the effects of Cyclone Eloise.
“The focus of this year’s commemoration of the International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction is to mobilize action for greater investment in expanding early warning and early action for all,” said Shah.
Among the people in attendance of this workshop was NDMA CEO Russell Dlamini, Principal Secretary in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office Melusi Masuku and Director of the Eswatini Meteorogical Service Duduzile Nhlengethwa-Masina.
The Principal Secretary of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, Melusi Masuku welcomed everyone present to this commemoration and spoke profoundly on the importance of the day and its significance.
He mentioned that is a day that serves as an opportunity for everyone to reflect and acknowledge the progress being made towards preventing and reducing disaster risk and losses of lives, livelihoods, economies and damages to infrastructure, this being in line with the international agreement for reducing global disaster risk and losses.
“In 2015 at the third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, the international community was reminded that disasters hit hardest at the local level with the potential to cause loss of life and great social and economic upheaval. Sudden onset disasters displace millions of people every year. Disasters, many of which are exacerbated by climate change, have a negative impact on investment in sustainable development and the desired outcomes. It is also at the local level that capacities need to be strengthened urgently,” said Masuku.
The proceedings of this workshop encompassed presentations exploring the climate of the country, status warning system in the country.
Panel discussions took place as well exploring topics including ‘the role of civil society organization in influencing multi-hazard early warning system’, ‘access to disaster risk information in the business sector’, ‘the role of the media in early warning as well as information dissemination’ and ‘the growing exposure of people and the assets to natural hazards and how to risk proof the agriculture systems in the country’.
