Back and Next - Back and NextDisaster prevention or control?
Monday, August 25, 2008
Last Tuesday, the national Disaster Relief Committee, under the auspices of the vice-president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, presented relief money of over D300, 000, an amount allotted for disaster-stricken victims in the country.
This money, it must be noted, came thanks to the generosity of the UNDP Gambia office, a body that is said to have an enviable history of rendering such gestures of benevolence to these kinds of people.
One thing that is special about last Tuesday’s presentation is that it came at the right time; the period when the country is experiencing worrying tales of disasters, mostly caused by floods, after downpours. Donations like these are quite commendable. In fact, we would want to join calls for the benefactors to keep up with the spirit, especially given the nature of rainfall we have been realising in this season.
However, it is worthwhile discussing the fact that giving donations like this might be just part of the solution of the problem; the money might only be important for control measures. But the issue of what we have at hand is such that we need to focus more on prevention rather than control. Do they not say that ‘prevention is better than cure’? Well, we ought to go back to the drawing board.
As someone said recently, it is a fact that there are natural disasters; but it is equally true that there are ‘man-induced natural disasters’. We will get the explanation to this if we look at the nature of buildings we have; the manner in which our settlements are planned; our roads; our gutters; these coupled with clandestine wiring systems in congested residential and commercial areas.
These were in fact the concerns raised by the vice-president, during the last presentation ceremony. And, as a matter of fact, she was quite right in this. As she said, in our quest to sorting out this chronic problem, everybody has a stake; the private building contractors; the engineers; the relevant departments of state; and even the individual owners of compounds.
In some areas of the region, as her Excellency said, the eminence of flood is virtually inevitable, because the situation of the houses is such that there is absolutely nothing we can do, at our level, to stop the eventualities. In cases like these, we find out that the only possible way out would be through prevention. In this regard, it is the duty of the relevant departments of state to remain steadfast. If, for instance, a structure is not supposed to be erected somewhere, they must ensure that it is not erected.
It is disheartening, however, to see the way our new settlements are sprouting with new structures, not only poorly constructed but also so poorly planned that disaster becomes inevitable. This should be the focus of the authorities concerned.
This money, it must be noted, came thanks to the generosity of the UNDP Gambia office, a body that is said to have an enviable history of rendering such gestures of benevolence to these kinds of people.
One thing that is special about last Tuesday’s presentation is that it came at the right time; the period when the country is experiencing worrying tales of disasters, mostly caused by floods, after downpours. Donations like these are quite commendable. In fact, we would want to join calls for the benefactors to keep up with the spirit, especially given the nature of rainfall we have been realising in this season.
However, it is worthwhile discussing the fact that giving donations like this might be just part of the solution of the problem; the money might only be important for control measures. But the issue of what we have at hand is such that we need to focus more on prevention rather than control. Do they not say that ‘prevention is better than cure’? Well, we ought to go back to the drawing board.
As someone said recently, it is a fact that there are natural disasters; but it is equally true that there are ‘man-induced natural disasters’. We will get the explanation to this if we look at the nature of buildings we have; the manner in which our settlements are planned; our roads; our gutters; these coupled with clandestine wiring systems in congested residential and commercial areas.
These were in fact the concerns raised by the vice-president, during the last presentation ceremony. And, as a matter of fact, she was quite right in this. As she said, in our quest to sorting out this chronic problem, everybody has a stake; the private building contractors; the engineers; the relevant departments of state; and even the individual owners of compounds.
In some areas of the region, as her Excellency said, the eminence of flood is virtually inevitable, because the situation of the houses is such that there is absolutely nothing we can do, at our level, to stop the eventualities. In cases like these, we find out that the only possible way out would be through prevention. In this regard, it is the duty of the relevant departments of state to remain steadfast. If, for instance, a structure is not supposed to be erected somewhere, they must ensure that it is not erected.
It is disheartening, however, to see the way our new settlements are sprouting with new structures, not only poorly constructed but also so poorly planned that disaster becomes inevitable. This should be the focus of the authorities concerned.
Author: DO
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