The Disaster Management Act, 2002 was promulgated in 2003. The National Disaster Management Centre with functional disaster-management centres and advisory forums were established in eight provinces.
The National Disaster-Management Advisory Forum was recognised by the United Nations (UN) as the national platform for reducing disaster risk.
South Africa has also made significant progress in respect of the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action – a global blueprint which aims to substantially reduce disaster losses by 2015.
Through the NDMC, the Department of Cooperative Governance registered unit standards for levels three to seven with the South African Qualifications Authority for a national certificate in disaster risk management. The department also developed regulations for recruiting and using disaster management volunteers.
In September 2012, the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa held its annual conference on Disaster Risk Management under the theme Taking Up the Challenge: Readiness for Risk Reduction and Response.
The institute's conference is the biggest annual disaster reduction conference in Africa and routinely attracts approximately 300 delegates. The institute is recognised as the mouthpiece of the disaster management profession in southern Africa and is also recognised by the UN's International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.
The 2012 conference was supported by the Mopani District Municipality, Limpopo Provincial Government, the South African Weather Service and the NDMC.
Source: SA Yearbook 2012/13
Disasters in South Africa
Floods 2011 - Minister of Cooperative Affairs S Shiceka declared 33 municipalities in eight provinces affected by floods as disater areas.
Photo gallery - photos of government assistance and flood damage.
Related links
- Speeches and statements on disaster management
- Department of Cooperative Governance
- National Disaster Management Centre
