Dodma calls for disaster risk reduction intervention
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) has asked civil protection committees in Mangochi to focus on developing risk reduction interventions to prepare for disasters.
Dodma commissioner Charles Kalemba said this last week during a meeting with Mangochi District Civil Protection Committee members on disaster risk management and the state of disaster preparedness.
The meeting was part of a series of meetings Dodma is expected to conduct in Balaka, Phalombe and Zomba districts.
“The District Civil Protection Committee should function before disasters happen in the district not when the disasters have occurred because as a department, we are now focusing mostly on risk reduction to help our people to be resilient not dependant,” said Kalemba.
He said Dodma has already started equipping evacuation centres with resources to reduce risks.
Later, Kalemba visited an evacuation centre in group village head Chipola in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chimwala in the district.
He advised the Village Civil Protection Committee to scale up income- generating activities to raise funds to use in managing the evacuation centre and funding risk reduction interventions.
The committee’s vice-chairperson Rajabu Hassan said they raised K46 000 through rentals.
He said the centre is used for meetings and other events whenever it is not sheltering disaster victims.
He said they have now increased rentals to K10 000 from K6 000.
Mangochi District has two evacuation centres in T/As Chimwala and Mponda.
According to downscaled seasonal forecast report for 2021/22, Mangochi is expected to receive normal to above normal rains.
Currently, the district has recorded 188 households that were affected by strong winds in T/As Chowe, Bwananyambi and Chiunda this month.
