Disaster Management

• Developing sufficient capacity within the Disaster Management Division and improve communication with a large variety of stakeholders.
• Managing risk to the environment by conducting continuous risk analysis at municipalities, develop and implement standards and procedures.
• Responding to all disasters and provide sufficient support during incidents
• Implementing systems to mitigate risks through training, awareness, and communication.

The functions of Disaster Management includes:

Risk Assessment: A process to determine the nature and extent of risk by analysing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that could pose a potential threat or harm to people, property, livelihoods and the environment on which they depend.

Planning: this includes the development of Disaster Management Plans, Standard Operating Procedures, Seasonal Preparedness Plans, and Contingency Plans.

Risk Reduction: this includes:

• Prevention: how to avoid the adverse impacts of a hazard – this includes awareness and education programmes.
• Mitigation: this can include structural or non-structural measures undertaken to limit the adverse impacts of a hazard- this include policies or physical structures.
• Preparedness: activities and measures taken in advance to ensure effective response to the impacts of hazards including the issuing of early warnings, evacuation of people etc.
• Response: the provision of assistance during or immediately after a disaster. This can be short-term such as the provision of relief items e.g. food parcels, blankets or protracted duration such as setting up of temporary shelters.
• Recovery: decisions and actions taken after a disaster with a view to restoring the situation to normality or improving the pre-disaster conditions.