By Salome Gangire

Neno, March 22, Mana: Disaster Risk Management Committees (DRMCs) in Neno District have been asked to identify potential risks their areas face and find solutions to avert and lessen the effects of disasters.

Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DoDMA) Recovery Officer, Ollings Mghandira said this Thursday at Ligowe during a training of DRMCs in the area of Traditional Authority Mlauli on disaster risk management cycle awareness and sensitisation and participatory monitoring and evaluation training on sector policies, gender and climate resilience.

Mghandira said each and every area has specific hazards and as such, they should take measures that will protect them to the effects of the emerging disaster.

“Disaster risk management cycle is step likewise system, where there are different aspects to consider whenever managing disasters before and after they hit as such duty bearers in communities need to know them and disseminate the information to their colleagues; thereby, reaching a wider audience,” he said.

He said human activities have to a large extent contributed to the severity of climate change as such communities need to be taken on board to conserve the environment by planting trees as well as taking precautionary measures which are aligned to the hazard they are exposed to.

Chairperson for Mlauli Village Development Committee (ADC), Yasintha Kafaniza said the committee will mobilise communities to plant more trees to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“We are going to meet village heads and sensitise our community to plant trees so that more trees are planted in the area,” Kafaniza said.

Kafaniza, therefore, thanked CISONECC for the training, saying it has equipped them on disaster risk management cycle which will enable them to avert some disasters as they will be preparing in time and change their community.

The [Civil Society Network on Climate Change] CISONECC and the Evangelical Association of Malawi with financial support from Christian Aid are implementing the Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Energy in Malawi: Investments for prevention of loss and damage in Malawi project in Neno.

The project aims at developing anticipatory, absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacities in Neno while financing risk reduction measures to prevent, minimise and address loss and damage ultimately strengthening national and local resilience to disaster risk and promoting sustainable development.