EEHCStrategy

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DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACT, 2002 _________________ C
HALLENGES OF FIRE AND FLOODS IN HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
Parliaments Portfolio Committee on Housing 19
20 April 2005

Mr L J Buys, Executive Manager Disaster
Management
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Introduction

• In the early hours of Sunday, 18 January 2004, a
  fire swept through the Nomzano community in the
  Strand in the Cape.
• Two persons died and an estimated 1 600 were left
  homeless as some 380 shacks went up in smoke.
• The fire was fanned by a strong south-easter and
  took over 4 hours to contain.
• Overhead power lines hampered fire-fighting.

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• As recently as 11 April 2005 Heavy rainfall in
  the Western Cape Province
• Joe Slovo Informal Settlement (already a tented
  emergency shelter area)
• 200 people moved to the Langa Civic Centre
• Bredasdorp several shacks flooded 400 RDP
  houses damaged.
• Napier Total informal settlement township
  washed away.
• Khayelitsha flood damage.

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• Migration of people from rural areas to urban
  centres to enhance their survival chances has
  resulted in uncontrolled urbanisation on vacant
  land that is unsuitable for safe housing.
• In addition, the informal settlements have been
  subjected to the rapid spread of fires and flash
  floods. (The Cape Town metropolitan area and
  Greater Johannesburg are typical examples).
• Several areas near rivers are occupied by
  informal settlements without any essential
  services resulting in high levels of pollution
  of the rivers and the immediate environment.

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• Most of the worlds poor live in densely
  populated squatter settlements, on the periphery
  of cities, which lack the basics of life.
  Inhabitants are thus caught in a spiral of
  increasing vulnerability.
• Many informal settlements are located in
  dangerous or unsuitable areas, such as
  floodplains, unstable slopes or reclaimed land,
  prone to flooding.
• These townships are often over-populated with
  inadequately constructed and badly maintained
  buildings, thus further increasing the level of
  vulnerability.

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• In most cases, the brunt of disastrous events is
  borne by the economically weaker sections of the
  community.
• There is also the insidious risk, often ignored,
  of continuing disaster of communities
  maintained in poverty by the constant setback of
  ongoing disasters.
• Such events damage lives and livelihoods,
  perpetuating long-term poverty, and ultimately
  undermine any effort to improve vulnerable urban
  settlements that hope to be sustainable.

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• The social impact of disasters is difficult to
  measure trauma, depression and grief as a result
  of losses continue for long periods after the
  disaster. These longer-term effects have a
  negative impact on community life and economic
  activity.
• Urban development projects are severely hampered
  by disasters that occur in informal settlements.

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Policies and strategies

• The impact of any disaster can be significantly
  reduced by development policies and strategies
  that target the most vulnerable, provided that
  interventions are co-ordinated, and sustained
  beyond the immediate emergency phase.
• South Africa has the right policy, but still
  lacks the peripheral capacity to deliver on that
  policy.

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Legislative reform

• Severe floods in Cape Towns historically
  disadvantaged Cape Flats in June 1994 profiled
  the urgency for legislative reform in the field
  of disaster risk management.
• Stimulated a consultative process which resulted
  in
• Green and White Papers on Disaster
  Management.
• Provided the platform for development of disaster
  management legislation that was consistent with
  emerging international trends in disaster risk
  reduction.

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• Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act 57 of 2002)
• Promulgated on 15 January 2003
• Commenced
• National / Provincial spheres 1 April 2004
• Municipal sphere 1 July 2004
• Act provides inter alia for
• Disaster Management Centres
• Establishment of Advisory Forums
• Disaster Management Plans

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• The implementation of the Disaster Management
  Act, 2002
• Act provides two years for total implementation.
• Factors hampering progress
• Financial constraints.
• Lack of sufficient and qualified personnel.
• Lack of coordination.

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Vulnerability Reduction and Disaster Mitigation

• Reducing the vulnerability of populations to
  disaster is a crucial aspect of disaster
  management.
• Poverty and lack of resources increase
  vulnerability
• Weakens coping strategies and
• Delays the recovery process.

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• Long-term reduction in vulnerability can be
  achieved with the adoption of practical and
  community-centred risk mitigation measures within
  existing urban planning practices.
• Yet, the adoption of risk reduction measures is
  not even considered in local level planning
  practices.
• Risk reduction measures have traditionally been
  perceived as a separate discipline, usually not
  associated with mainstream urban planning.

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Reduced need for social relief in disaster-prone
and economically vulnerable communities

• While effective social relief is an important
  component of disaster response and recovery, the
  Disaster Management Act, 2002 explicitly gives
  priority to vulnerability reduction in
  disaster-prone areas, communities and households.
• The promotion of a culture of prevention is
  practically enabled by access to examples of best
  practice in disaster risk reduction.

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• A participatory planning process between
  sectors, geographic areas and the population
  aimed at
• integrating sectoral strategies to support the
  optimal allocation of scarce resources
• promoting sustainable growth and equitable
  development and
• the empowerment of the poor and the marginalised,
  
• will do much to alleviate the plight of the
  poor.

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• Ensure that decisions are based on
• Peoples priority needs and problems.
• Knowledge of available resources and assets.
• Accurate information and understanding of
  dynamics.
• Well-informed decisions on priority issues.

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• Disaster management has to be seen in the context
  of the development challenges that the country
  faces as a whole.
• From a developmental perspective, disasters are
  increasingly viewed as an expected consequence of
  poor risk management over the long-term.
• They are the outcome of interconnected social and
  physical processes that increase risk and
  vulnerability to even modest threats.

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• Simple measures like fixing roofs in windy cities
  and cracking down on littering to keep storm
  drains clear can make the difference between a
  routine storm and a national disaster.
• Wembezi Township, Estcourt, KZN
• 24/12/2001 Hailstorm of disastrous proportions
  struck the township.
• Asbestos roofs of 2 050 houses severely
  damaged.
• Damage estimated at R8,5m.
• Only practical solution replace all the roofs
  with corrugated iron.
• Community less vulnerable to severe weather
  incidents in future.

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• It was agreed
• Dplg will provide R6m and the
• National Disaster Relief Fund Board (DoSD) R2m
• Project undertaken with 45 skilled carpenters,
  each with a team of six handymen, all recruited
  from unemployed people in the area.
• One member of each household was also employed
  during the time when his/her house was being
  re-roofed.
• Project serves as excellent example of
  cooperative governance between the three spheres
  of government and the community.

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• Disasters turn back the development clock,
  destroying years of effort and labour and
  perpetuating poverty for those already poor.
• On a city and national level, they destroy
  investments and infrastructure and drain national
  budgets and municipal development funds.
• Yet, disasters are rarely, if ever, included
  within planning and development strategies.

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Strategic partnerships

• The multi-sectoral and inter-disciplinary nature
  of disaster reduction and response, requires
  continuous interaction, cooperation and
  partnerships among related institutions to
  achieve the objectives of disaster mitigation and
  sustainable development.
• Only when all members of society are engaged and
  considered can disaster management be effective
  to reduce vulnerability and promote development.

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Local Governance

• Managing disaster in human settlements is an
  issue that must be addressed in all aspects of
  urban governance.
• Creating inclusive institutions that allow for
  greater participation of the population is
  closely linked with reducing vulnerability to
  disasters.

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Conclusion

• The poor living in informal human settlements on
  the verges of our cities are a legitimate part of
  the city.
• They contribute to its growth, and deserve a
  share of the benefits.
• Poor communities understand their own problems
  best. They contain enormous creative energy
  which can be utilised to solve those problems.
• Municipalities and community organisations should
  work together to everybodys advantage.

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• Thank you.