Department of Disaster management affairs (DoDMA) has described climate justice as quite a controversial subject as countries largely responsible for climate change aren’t forthcoming to contribute towards addressing the issues emanating from the problem.
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DoDMA’s Deputy Director Responsible for disaster preparedness Fredson Chikuse noted that Malawi has faced a lot of calamities from 2015 to-date ranging from drought, floods, mudslides, Corona virus and Cholera outbreaks.
Speaking during a stakeholder dialogue on human rights in relation to climate change, he described the meeting as an important one against a background of many people in rural areas suffering from the impacts of the phenomenon hence climate justice comes in to address some of the rights problems being faced.
On relocating those displaced, he underscored the need to find places which are habitable, where people will have access to water, education and health services.
He described the study findings which were unpacked during the meeting as timely and important as they show that some of the people in the rural areas aren’t aware of the injustices suffered such as lack of essential services and the impact of floods.
“For the floods to come up its maybe because other people have caused that phenomenon to come in, and therefore the people in the villages suffer in silence without knowing who is going to be responsible for their suffering or how their suffering can be addressed because somebody has caused climate change to affect them.
”After a disaster has taken place, it is difficult for a country to complete all the recovery efforts to address that kind of disaster, you find that for example Cyclone Idai which took place in 2019, some of the recovery activities are still going on and inside of those activities other disasters like Cyclone Freddy, Anna Gombe also came.
“So one of the ways to address or to complete the recovery of those disasters is to ask our donor colleagues to live up to their promises to say they promised to give funding to support the impact of climate change. If those countries responsible for the changes can live up to their promise, most of the issues can be addressed” he observed.
Chikuse emphasized on the need for the country to ensure that it conserves the environment through tree-planting, follow recommended farming methods and people should not settle in disaster prone areas.
Samson Dazeni Chairperson for Area development Committee of Traditional Authority Ndindi in Salima lamented that despite getting support from well-wishers when disasters strike, but for it to trickle down to those in need, is always a challenge.
“A good example is Chikwawa where some people are still in camps due to lack of necessary support to enable them start afresh. For Parliamentarians and councilors, we want the things which we’ve asked for to come.
“Not when we want a hospital and they bring a police station. No! We call upon duty bearers not to bring developments which they want rather than what the people need.”
