By Sylvester Kumwenda

Dowa, May 6, Mana: Director of Disaster Preparedness and Response in the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA), Reverend Moses Owen Chimphepo, says the country needs around $1.4 billion to recover from damages caused by disasters in the past four years.

He was speaking on Monday at Chikho Hotel in Mponela during the opening of a two-day Capacity Building training on Disaster Risk Management Communication which targeted journalists from various media houses.

He said the country's vulnerability to hazards has been worsening due to population growth, urbanization and environmental degradation, which has impacted various sectors like food, energy, health, water, infrastructure and others.

"As a country, over the years we have been experiencing frequent disasters, and cumulatively we have a loss of property of around $921 billion. But for us to recover and replace the losses, we need $1.4 billion. That is the situation we are in.

"For example you have seen how the road infrastructure has been damaged but we have not managed to recover because as we try to replace those infrastructure, another disaster comes and damages again. That is why accumulatively there are such huge numbers," he said.

He however said much as it will take time to fully recover, government in conjunction with development partners is replacing lost infrastructure like bridges, roads and school blocks.

He however said there is need to build a country that is resilient to disasters.

"This is where this training comes in because you are crucial in every step of disaster risk management cycle, from preparedness, response and recovery.

"You are our partner in raising awareness on potential disasters and what precautionary measures to take, helping the department know what is happening and affecting a community. But also helping raising the need on building resilient communities and nation," said Chimphepo.

One of the participants Chancy Namadzunda of The Atlas Malawi said the training was an eye opener.

"There are a lot of things we have learnt like our role in raising awareness on potential disasters, effective reporting during disasters, and also spreading important precautionary information like need for relocation from disaster prone areas.

"Also overview and legal frameworks in Disaster Risk Management in Malawi, and functions and responsibilities of various government agencies and other partners," said Namadzunda.

The training was sponsored by Concern Worldwide.