MANAGING DISASTER: WAY
FORWARD
Currently in Nigeria, the approaches adopted towards
managing disaster are pro-active approach. The Nigeria Environmental Management
Agency (NEMA) embarked on a new initiative in disaster risk management to
contain disaster or emergency through pro-active deployment of resources and
personnel. This is toward raising awareness and building of early warning
system and response mechanisms that can help in term of hazardous period but
this could probably be statement alone and not accompany with action.
Over the years Nigerians have been experiencing disasters
that left most people in a dire poverty situation with no or little help from
the government and agencies which lacks capacity and wherewithal to intervene
in such difficult situation.
Till now in some part of Nigeria, the reactive approach are
still in practice because mostly the disaster will have occur before any
intervention could be made either indirectly or directly and this would have
affected properties, lives and displacement of homes.
Well, the need to
systematically reduce the increased impact of disaster is steadily gaining
recognition and commitment of government’s worldwide. For Nigeria to be able to
reduce risk disaster there is need to incorporate her risks disaster policies
into the national development effort.
Also,
there is need for collaboration of stakeholders at the Federal level, State
level, and Local Government level even civil society with a clearly define
roles of each stakeholders.
Institution
should be establish where there is lack of one and part of the vulnerable or
affected people should be part of the established institution in order to be
able to bring closeness between the vulnerable people to resolve their
challenges. Along with this should be thorough awareness and risk assessment of
the likely damages and quantification accessible by the people for proper
enlighten and understanding of the issue under analysis.
Capacity
development should be done in various local government to train personnel that
can stands and perform effectively in the face of disaster. Despite of this,
government should be the people centeredness and if the people see the seriousness
of the government in coming to their rescue, there will not be any cause for
alarm for the communities not to consent with the government and believe in
their action.
Communities
could also help in prevention and mitigation of disaster in such a way that
they abide to the standards of material used in construction and follow the
town planning in erecting any building so that it won’t be along the flooding
path or hazard arena. Community can also help in identifying and getting
involved in building systems that could prevent disaster, but the politician
must show human centeredness in Nigeria before they could ever have the support
of the communities except those directly receiving stipends from them.
In term
of behavioral changes, Nigerians are so adamant to changes, despite of a lot of
awareness about environments consequence or hazard risk, most of them will not yield until the
situation occur before realizing the effect. These were as a result of not
believing in their leaders, after promises of looking after the people but fail
to protect them and their properties. This has changes the way people think,
react and believe. Why the people should answered the government who care not
for them and now come suddenly asking for the people permission for house
demolishing, and support them in their activities after the people has
struggled on their own without any help from the government. The government
even doesn’t know the existence of some of Nigerian. In order to change this
orientation of the people, the leaders need some closeness to the communities
to know how they feel, react and ensure they earned the people trust again. Now,
based on action and not statement. There must be transparency in government and
reductions in level of corruption that will make communities believe that the action
of the government is real and not only to embezzle money.
Seeking
public and political support is accomplished by making people believe in your
action and getting involve. To do this there must be house to house publicity
in the affected area and detail of the action for the people to understand
vividly what is involve, the consequence and the benefit of what they about to
do. Also making incentives available catering for those likely to be affected
by the decision to be taken.
Cheers!!!
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