The Sunday Mail
Emmanuel Kafe
What lessons can be drawn from Cyclone Idai, in terms of disaster preparedness and responsiveness?
Disaster management experts say there should be a proper mitigation strategy and proper communication channels to reduce the impact and risk of hazard through proactive measures before an emergency or disaster occurs to reduce the number of deaths, injuries and missing people.
For its part, the Meteorological Service Department (MSD) raised alarm bells two weeks before the tropical cyclone hit Zimbabwe.
Through its director, Mr Tichaona Zinyemba, the meteorological department warned that the cyclone would “generate torrential rains and exceedingly strong winds, resulting in flooding and destruction of infrastructure along its path”.
But the million-dollar question remains; was enough done to get the message to the people in the remotest parts of the affected areas? What should have been done to make sure information reached the most in the shortest possible time?
Dr Maynard Karongo, an emergency response specialist, said State resources could have been used to move people to safety before the cyclone struck and with the unavailability of camps, displaced people could have been sent to relatives in less affected areas.
“Public and private property could have been used as temporary transit camps — such as the Chimanimani Hotel, which led by example by taking in about 200 families.
“Cyclone Idai cannot be equated to any other strong winds and heavy rains where the Civil Protection Unit just broadcast messages of warning and cautions through print and electronic media,” he said.
“Understanding that this was forecast as a deadly cyclone, developing into a Category 3 and 4 weather phenomenon, with winds of up to 175 km/h, the Civil Protection Unit could have done better in engaging relevant stakeholders and proposing relocation of people ahead of time.
“A mere warning and red alert caution to poverty-stricken rural dwellers is not sufficient for them to mobilise themselves to vacate the areas.”
The chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Honourable Miriam Chikukwa, said the budget allocated to the Civil Protection Unit was not enough for them to deal with such a disaster.
“The budget that was allocated to the CPU was not enough and I hope Government will re-look into that, had there been enough resources the department would have performed better than they did in terms of communication and evacuation,” she said.
She also urged everyone contributing towards the disaster to continue to assist and implored all concerned that there should be a standing budget, should a recurrence of a disaster of this magnitude occur.
Honourable Chikukwa added: “We have learnt a lot from the cyclone as a country, people can unite from political persuasions and I urge Zimbabweans to continue with that spirit of working above politics.”
Dr Karongo added that communities have a central role in the long and short-term of disaster management.
“The focus of attention in disaster management must be the local community. Disaster risk or vulnerability reduction is the foundation of community-based disaster management, of which disaster risk reduction encompasses disaster preparedness with a properly functioning Civil Protection Unit,” he said.
He added that communities are always eager to protect themselves from risks through community-based disaster preparedness and mitigation and this is only possible when they are taught emergency responses.
Efforts to get a comment from the Civil Protection Unit were unsuccessful as some of the numbers went unanswered and some were not reachable.
