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Scientific information: A tool for
effective community preparedness
against disasters
Tchaka Kamanga
Program Officer (DRR)
Christian Aid, Malawi
Outline of the Presentation
•
•
Common Disasters in Malawi
Some underlying factors
(Vulnerability)
Innovation by Christian Aid.
•
•
•
•
What, when and how?
Results
Recommendations
Common Disasters in Malawi
http://www.preventionweb.net/englis
h/countries/statistics/
Community vulnerability
Climate/weather
Variability and lack of
information on its
trend
Provision of reliable
information for
effective preparation
POVERTY
Resilient livelihoods
that also ensure
economic
empowerment
Weather information for effective preparation:
Type and Process……
Weather information for effective preparation:
Type and Process……
This overall information
helps community members
to plan:
•
What to grow
•
When to plant
•
What
agricultural
practices to follow
•
How to maintain their
houses
and
other
structures
•
What
economic
activities to engage in
Weather information for effective preparation:
Type and process……
Information flow……
Department of Climate
Change and Meteorological
Services
Christian Aid
ESOKO
Community
Volunteers
Community
Volunteers
Community members
Community
Volunteers
Weather information for effective preparation:
Process……
Through Village Civil Protection
Committees, the entire communities in
specific districts are regularly informed
of how weather unfolds through 5-day
weather forecasts. This complements
seasonal forecast for daily planning
against any possible disasters.
Ground
dissemination
is
done
through:
•
Forwarding of text massages
•
Announcements
in
any
community meetings
•
Voicing around communities
•
Pasting
written
posts
in
strategic places for public
viewing
Results……
The dissemination of the
weather information has led to
appropriate
community
preparedness
• Maintenance
of
house
structures
• Watch out for floods and
plan accordingly
• watch- out for dry spells
and plan accordingly
• Watch-out
for
rain
recession
and
plan
accordingly
• Watch out for planting rains
and plan accordingly
• Watch out for strong winds
and plan accordingly
…Results
• No loss of lives in areas where this
system is in place. This is in spite of
some structures being destroyed
following heavy rains.
• Improved yields despites some dry
spells
•
Luciano finds a weather advisor in a cell phone
Conclusion and recommendation
#Through SCIENCE, we have come to know and believe that climate is
changing#
#Through science, we are able to link some DISASTERS to CLIMATE
CHANGE#
#Therefore, through science, communities
can complement their
Investing
indigenous knowledge and prepare more efficiently and effectively
against the
disasters#
inimpending
science-based
Community
Early
WE therefore need to invest in ensuring that scientific information
relating to ANY hazards Warning
(droughts/dry Systems
spells, floods, earthquakes,
cyclones etc) and disasters is made available at community levels and in
a language they can understand
THE INVESTMENT MUST BE TODAY FOR A SAFER
TOMORROW!