The Chronicle
Kizito Sikuka
“We cannot stop natural disasters, but we can arm ourselves with knowledge so that many lives would not have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness.”
These words by Petra Nemcová — one of the most famous philanthropists who founded an organisation that helps victims of natural disasters to rebuild their lives — provide a reminder that it is possible for the global community to cope and address the daunting challenges posed by natural disasters.
The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has over the past few decades experienced an increasing frequency and severity of droughts that were attributed to climate change and variability, resulting in food insecurity.
The region experienced the worst drought in 35 years during the 2015/16 agriculture season.
The frequent droughts have seen the number of food-insecure people in the region remaining above 22 million per year since 2010, according to the Sadc Secretariat.
So what are Sadc member states doing to strengthen their capacity to deal with natural disasters such as floods and droughts whose increasing frequency and severity threatens to destabilise the region?
“We have put in place a…
