“This meeting of Ministers responsible for disaster risk management has great significance for the SADC region which is increasingly experiencing disasters and emergencies. To this effect, we require forward-looking and progressive interventions that will improve our regional ability to cushion the impacts of such on our communities”, said Minister van Rooyen.
Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), honourable Des van Rooyen expressed the above sentiments on 26 November 2016 during his opening remarks at the SADC Ministers’ meeting for disaster risk management. This important meeting that considered the regional strategies and plans was held at Port Louis in the Republic of Mauritius.
Of importance is the recognition within the SADC that a regional disaster preparedness and response mechanism for was critical to enhance the capacity to share expertise and assist each other in a coordinated and comprehensive manner before, during and post disaster situations.
In 2014, the region has been severely hit by the El Niňo induced drought which has since overwhelmed the disaster preparedness capacity in all affected Member States. It is this and many other types of disasters that the Draft SADC Regional Preparedness and Response Strategy and Fund will have to adequately respond to.
Minister van Rooyen expressed appreciation for the developed Draft SADC Regional Preparedness and Response Strategy and Fund which followed a call by the Ministers responsible for Disaster Risk Management and Ministers of Finance, the Ministerial Committee of the Organ as well as the Decision by SADC Council of Ministers at their meetings in June and August 2015. “This decision by SADC Ministers demonstrates the collective commitment and leadership to continuously improve the well-being of the citizens of the SADC Region, by reducing their exposure and vulnerability to disasters”, said Minister van Rooyen.
The meeting agreed to invest in actions that will accelerate the achievement of sustainable resilience by communities in the face of disasters. In this regard, the meeting considered and adopted the strategy for preparedness and response. “The adoption of the strategy demonstrated our genuine and collective commitment to ensuring the strategic reduction of the impacts of disasters on the SADC region and proactively building the resilience of our people”, said Minister van Rooyen.
This Strategy will definitely go a long way in addressing the current drought challenges, and more broadly in attaining a cohesive, people–centered sustainable development in the SADC Region.
The funding component of the adopted strategy has been referred to the meeting of the Ministers of finance to be held in 2017.
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