Dodma includes earthquakes in strategy
Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) says issues on earthquakes will be highlighted in the review of its 2014 National Disaster Risk Management Communication Strategy.
Dodma director James Chiusiwa said this in Salima yesterday at the opening of a four-day stakeholder consultation on the review of the strategy.
He said earthquakes are increasingly negatively impacting the lives of many people; hence, requiring inclusion.
Said Chiusiwa: “In the communication strategy we are currently reviewing, issues of earthquakes had little attention and that is one of the gaps we want to improve besides relooking its content and coming up with efficient medium and language of dissemination.
“Recently, we have seen Malawi being hit by a series of earth tremors, though not severe in terms of damage but it leaves behind other social and physiological impacts requiring locals to prepare for.”
He said the new strategy is also expected to improve service delivery towards disaster management in the country through timely communication on early warning platforms at community level, Civil Protection Committees (CPCs).
One of the participants, Joseph Ngwenya of Mgawi CPC in Salima, commended Dodma for engaging locals in the process.
Dodma has engaged over 300 community members in Dedza, Zomba, Mulanje, Mwanza, Kasungu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota and Salima districts to build communities resilience besides providing a conducive structure for communicating risk reduction messages.
