Experts urge govts to mainstream disaster risk reduction into plans and policies

EXPERTS and stakeholders have called on governments at all levels to mainstream disaster risk reduction into their plans, policies and programs with a view to actualizing the goals of the Sendai Framework of action (2015-2030).

The advice was contained in a communiqué issued by Participants at the end of a National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction meeting held in Abuja at the weekend.

The meeting which was organized by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) was aimed at reviewing the Framework and drafting a National Plan of Action for implementation.

Based on resolutions from the meeting, it has agreed that Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies; States and Local Governments should develop and implement locally oriented programs of action to actualize the Sendai Framework. The need to establish states and local emergency management committees was also reaffirmed.

The meeting also emphasized the needs for gender mainstreaming in DRR activities and adequate budgetary allocations for DRR activities by all tiers of government.

Another major recommendation of the meeting was the need for State governments to establish and strengthen State Emergency Management Agencies and for local governments to establish Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMC) to perform the critical roles of DRR at the community’s level.

The platform also advocated the use of established institutions such as NOA, NAN, the Media, etc for effective advocacy and awareness programs at the grassroots level while calling on Ministries Departments Agencies to designate desk officers for DRR in their various establishments.

It also resolved to leverage on science, technology, academia and indigenous knowledge to provide DRR solutions and agreed to set up a technical committee to come up with recommendations for the strengthening of the National Platform on DRR

The Director General of NEMA Muhammad Sani Sidi, who welcomed the participants to the meeting said the Platform reflected the commitment of federal government to implement National and local disaster risk reduction activities owing to the fact that Nigeria has witnessed continuous rise in both natural and human-induced disasters resulting in loss of lives, large scale displacement, socio economic dislocation and environmental degradation.

It has also agreed that the Platform on a national level should meet twice yearly on rotational basis across the geopolitical zones.

Participants were drawn from State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), State Ministries of Environment, Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Local Governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Academia, Paramilitary, Media, Organized Private Sectors, Faith based Organizations (FBOs) and International Development Partners.