Lilongwe District Council has underscored the need for community members to avoid practices that trigger natural disasters in the district.
Speaking on Tuesday in Mponela in Dowa, Lilongwe district director of planning and development Willard Chirwa cited cultivating crops and constructing houses along river banks as some activities exacerbating disasters such as floods.
He said that was why the council was conducting a three-day training to equip District Disaster Risk Management Committee members on their role and responsibility on disaster management.
“Natural disasters will be always there, but we need to be vigilant and take precautionary measures to avoid the effects of these disasters,” said Chirwa.
He urged the participants to take the training seriously, saying it will help them to understand what they are supposed to do in responding to different disasters that may occur.
Lilongwe District Disaster Risk Management officer Anganile Kalonga said it was sad that many people lost their property last year due to strong winds.
He asked people in Lilongwe to start conserving the environment and building resilient houses that can withstand such disasters.
In a separate interview, Hendricks Chiwaya, a community member in Traditional Authority Kalumba, said wanton cutting down of trees for charcoal production is another challenge in the district.
“In the past when we were conserving the environment, we hardly experienced such disasters,” he said.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs organised the meeting with support from Concern Worldwide.
