26 Mar 2024

Nations have been called upon to catalyse positive change, inspire action and make a lasting impact on disaster risk management efforts to minimise the effects of frequently occurring disasters in communities, countries and regions. 

Addressing the Disaster Risk Management Symposium in Gaborone on Monday, the Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for State President, Mr Moagi Baleseng said there was need to introspect and reflect on strategies to better the lives of Batswana, and nations at large. 

“With ambitious programmes like Temo Letlotlo geared towards improving the quality of life, disasters if left unchecked could disrupt the production cycles and livelihoods,” he said. 

Mr Baleseng therefore called for the adoption of new approaches to the changing climate patterns. The three-day symposium gathered representatives from African countries under the theme; Promoting Innovation, Integration and Collaboration in Local, National and Regional Disaster Risk Management. 

Mr Baleseng said it was essential as the expected outcomes of working together to develop mitigation strategies that would help build climate resilient economies. 

He said climate change and global warming presented one of the most pressing challenging times. 

“As the world’s climate undergoes significant shifts, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters are increasing,” he said, adding that the trend had profound implications for humanitarian aid, particularly in the realm of disaster risk management. 

Meanwhile Mr Baleseng said  government recognised climate change and global warming effects on the occurrence of natural disasters and was committed to disaster risk reduction and building resilience at national and regional level. 

He said the National Disaster Management Office had implemented several programmes and initiatives to address disaster risk management and enhance resilience to natural and man-made hazards. 

Sharing the same sentiments, the Botswana Red Cross Society General Secretary, Mr Kutlwano Mukokomani said with challenges ranging from natural disasters to conflict-driven crises, and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people worldwide had been grappling with humanitarian emergencies that threatened their safety, well-being and dignity. 

Mr Mukokomani furthermore said an increase in natural disasters, fueled by climate change, had become more frequent and severe, causing widespread devastation to communities and infrastructure. 

“Floods, storms, droughts and wildfires are displacing millions, destroying homes, livelihoods, and essential services, and exacerbating food insecurity and poverty,” he said, emphasising the importance of mindset change through identifying best practices in disaster risk management, as well unearthing opportunities in mobilising resources aimed at strengthening communities mitigating disaster risks effectively. “It has become evident that in this dynamic and evolving landscape, ushering innovative approaches, strengthening preparedness and response mechanisms, collaborations, and building resilience should be essential ingredients to address some of the root causes of humanitarian crises,” said Mr Mukokomani. 

He explained that in an endeavour to contribute and seek solutions to some of those growing natural disasters, the BRCS saw it fit to partner with the Netherlands Red Cross Society and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent to host the Disaster Risk Management Symposium to explore innovative approaches, harness cutting-edge technologies,  develop and implement advanced methodologies and approaches to address evolving challenges in disaster risk management. 

Mr Mukokomani further said the symposium sought to foster deeper integration across various sectors and stakeholders and cultivate enhanced collaboration to achieve holistic and synergistic approaches to disaster risk management, spanning from local, national, and regional levels. 

Furthermore, he said the knowledge gained from the symposium might help in guiding future policy reforms, especially in emphasising the importance of mainstreaming disaster risk reduction considerations into development planning, policy-making, and decision-making processes across sectors. 

The symposium was attended by representatives from Namibia, Zambia, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi and Mozambique. ENDS