Take new disaster law to people, says Dodma
Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) principal disaster preparedness officer Edwin Zawanda has asked Nsanje District Disaster Risk Management Committee to popularise the 2023 Disaster Risk Management Law.
He said this on Wednesday during a meeting with the committee Concern Worldwide organised in Chikwawa District.
The new law stipulates how to deal with people living in disaster-prone areas and how to conduct disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Under the new law, people who willingly choose to live in disaster-prone areas will be penalised and forced to relocate to safe areas.
The training comes against the background of Nsanje experiencing cyclone-induced floods in recent years, including cyclones Idai, Anna, Gombe and Freddy.
Zawanda said many community members do not know about the new law; hence, the need to engage them.
He said: “For instance, there are some structural changes in the new law such as having the National Disaster Risk Management committee.
“At district level, they have local government committees which include district disaster risk management committees, formerly District Civil Protection Committees.”
Nsanje District Disaster Risk Management Committee member Joseph Mutupha, who is also Nsanje Police Station officer-in-charge, said it was important to take the law to people on the ground.
He said: “We are pleased to note that the offences have corresponding penalties.
“In this new law, there are some regulations and guidelines which need to be followed when implementing disaster response.”
Concern Worldwide urban programming and disaster risk management manager Wongani Kaonga said they supported the training to ensure that stakeholders know about the new law.
