BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE– There National Disaster Management (NDMA) is being proactive with regard to climate action and adaptation plans.
Currently, the above-mentioned parastatal is in a four-day Eswatini Multi-hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) and Common Alert Protocol (CAP) implementation for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Building
In a statement that the NDMA Communications Manager, Wandile Mavuso, he explained that the Kingdom of Eswatini is amongst the least contributors to the global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
“However, like most countries in the Global South, the country is disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. The country experiences hazards, such as violent storms and persistent drought, which is further exacerbating the country’s existing challenges of food insecurity, and ability to attain development goals.
“Despite its minuscule contribution to climate change emissions, the country is committed to climate action, evidenced by her submission of a revised and updated NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution). Scientific reports project that the country’s minimum and maximum temperatures will increase through the 2090s and temperature is expected to rise by as much as 1.9°C by 2050’s resulting in the intensification of the hydrological cycle with varied impacts and extreme hydro-meteorological related risks and hazards.
“Between 2015 and 2022, the country experienced a torrent of extreme events such as numerous flooding, severe storms, extreme heat and wildfires, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic taking a devastating toll on the economy and livelihoods,” explained Mavuso.
He further said the 2015-2016 drought alone cost the country’s economy about E3.843 billion, which was equivalent to 7.01per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016 or 18.58per cent of Government expenditure in 2016.
“According to a recent UNDRR analysis, countries with substantial to comprehensive early warning system coverage have one-eighth the disaster mortality of those with limited or no coverage, sadly, only 40per cent of Africa is covered by such systems, and even those are compromised by quality issues, though early warning systems can help to protect people from disasters.
“To fathom the current status of the country’s early warning system, the NDMA conducted an evaluation of the country’s early warning system based on the 2017 World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) checklist. The result of the evaluation provides areas of improvement and strengthening to make it more reliable, available and effective. This supports the country’s revised NDC whose one priority includes developing a multi-hazard early warning system covering all relevant sectors with climate hazard monitoring and the strengthening for improved emergency preparedness, disaster risks and response capacities across all sectors.”
Mavuso said noting the gaps identified, the NDMA as a principal coordinator for disaster risk reduction, has embarked on a mission to strengthen the country’s MHEWS and enhance participatory and inclusiveness, improve availability and access to the country’s MHEWS to enhance preparedness, early action and response to disasters and ensure it matches the challenges arising from the ever aggravating climate change effects.
“The NDMA has embarked on a four-day residential brainstorm and learning together workshop for key early warning stakeholders aimed at finding solutions and developing the country’s all-inclusive strategy and action plan for the strengthening of the country MHEWS and ensuring that every person in the country is covered with the early warning information, and implementing the call by the UN Secretary-General and target G of the Sendai Framework (2015 – 2030), and keeping with the Africa continental strategic direction for MHEWS.
“The interconnectedness of the ecosystem, the systemic nature of risks and the complexities associated with present and future hazards associated with a changing climate, require robust and inter-operable multi-hazard systems and common approaches,” explained Mavuso. The purpose of the workshop is to brainstorm, learn together and create a common understanding of the country’s multi-hazard early warning system (MHEWS) with the view to substantially increase its availability and access in line with the Sendai Framework target G and implementing the call of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that every person on earth should be protected by early warning systems in the next five years.
