Mozambique Red Cross Society

The Community Based Disaster Preparedness Programme

Basic data on Mozambique

• Mozambique is located in the Southwest Indina Ocean Basin, which produces in average each year 10% of the entire worlds cyclone.

• It shares 25 main rivers flow through the country draining in Indian Ocean

• Zambezia in the central part is the largest & is the 4th longest river in Africa

• The regime of the rivers is characterized as torrential high flows during the wer season – November to March, and low flow in the dry season – April to October

Basic data on Mozambique • The heaviest rainfall is from October to

March

• The Main natural hazards are: cyclones, floods & droughts

• The worst droughts were in 1974, 1983, 1984, 1992. Currently Mozambique is facing a small scale drought

• The worst floods in 150 yrs. (or the worst ever) were in the year 2000 & 2001

Basic data on Mozambique • Mozambique is a party to the international

agreements on Climate Change, Desertification and Ozone Layer Protection, and ratified the UN framework Convention on CC (UNFCCC) in August 1995

• The Ministry of Coordination of Environmental Affairs (MICOA) is the focal point for CC and the National metereological institute (INAM) is the focal point for the intergovernmental Panel on CC (IPCC). It is also member of the SA Climate Outlook forum (SARCOF) for cyclone warnings.

• River waters are monitored by 3 geographical dpts.under the Minstry of Public Works &Housing

The CBDP - Pilot phase:

• 2001 in Inhambane:

– Model from the Philippines

– support from the Danish RC

• 2001 in Zambézia:

Model from Latin America

Support from IFRC

Target districts

Zambézia provinceNamacurra, Maganja da Costa and Mopeia

Sofala provinceDistrict of Búzi

Inhambane Govuro, Vilankulos & Inharrime

Project main components

• CBDP activities

• Early Warning System

CBDP activities• Contact with governement institutions at all levels &

community leaders– Important for the project to be accepted and the

ownership• PRA for the identification of project sites

– Using simple hand drawn community maps• Target community identification

– Based on vulnerability of the communities• Training of volunteers and provincial staff

– First Aid, RC, Basic Disaster Preparedness concepts

• Establishment of local disaster committees– Identified & through pre‘existing structures

CBDP activities• Assignment of responsibilities and training of local

disaster committee members– 6 main tasks

• PRAs for the identification and prioritization of mitigation micro-projects– Using convecional or promoting traditional

mitigation activities• Production of community disaster plans

– With community involvement. These remain in the communities as a tool to be used when needed

• Implementation of mitigation micro-projects– Ex. Houses & stirage places in higher grounds,

small bridges with local material

Responsibilities of the Local Disaster Committees

• Radio - Responsible for the community radio

• Early Warning – disseminates cyclone alert signs & listens to the whether wanings

• Evacuation– identifies/trains people on escapes routes

• Water transport- makes inventory of boats & people

• Land transport – makes inventory on transport • Shelter – identifies collective accomodation centres

• Preparedness kit – keeps the community kit

Community Map

List of transports available

Mitigation micro-projects

The National EWS:The National EWS:

COLECTION OF

INFORMATION

ANALYSIS & FORECAST

PREPARING WARNINGS

DISSEMINATION OF THE

WARNINGS

COMMUNITY

REACTION

CVM responsibility in the EWS

Dissemination of EWS through distribution of posters by volunteersDistrict Commission are alerted by the public radio station and contact the trained volunteers. Promote the use of traditional EW methods by the communities

Challenges, lessons learned and main recommendations

Lessons Learned & Recommendations

Locally• Allocate more time for CBDP and community

mobilisation when planning CBDP projects. • Apply local expertise and knowledge about the features

of disasters and its effects combined with know how transfered from experts from other countries.

• Training materials should be translated into local languages.

• CVM should lobby the Government to include CBDP in the top of the national priorities as far as disaster management is concerned. Currently the emphasis is in response activities

Locally• Involvement government authorities at

various levels and of traditional leaders and communities members is key.

• Advocacy to enable co-operation with external stakeholders and joint efforts in meeting the needs of the communities is important.

• Traditional preventive measures should be used to complement conventional methods.

Lessons Learned & Recommendations

Globally• CBDP should be implemented in the context of

poverty & vulnerability reduction strategies and should follow an integrated approach by including health, water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS or other relevant interventions.

• The long term nature of CBDP activities should be taken into consideration to avoid short term projects that do not guarantee sustainability and do not allow the communities to work on CBDP concepts and adopt them in the long term.

Lessons Learned & Recommendations

Globally• Funding should be available for capacity building

aspects of community based organizations.

• More investment should be directed into bridging the gaps between the scientists and those who implement the activities in the field.

• Technical CC language and meteorological and hydrological studies and research should be translated into simple language and shared with community based organizations

Lessons Learned & Recommendations

Thank you for your attention !