Lack of capacity hinders councils’ disaster response – TRADE

Environment and Climate Change Specialist for Transforming Agriculture and Entreneurship Programme (TRADE), Amosi Simwela has disclosed that lack of capacity hinders councils in the country from responding better to disasters.

Simwela said this Friday in Mzuzu at the end of the three-day District Disaster Risk Management Committees (DDRM) capacity-building workshop for Nkhata Bay and Karonga districts for them to efficiently and effectively manage disasters at the district and community level.

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According to Simwela, the TRADE programme recognises the importance of DDRMs in planning and managing disasters hence their commitment to make sure that these committees are functional and capacitated.

“We deal with smallholder farmers who are mostly affected by the effects of climate change including disasters such as floods and droughts.

“However, we observed that councils cannot deal with these. By orienting these committees, we are assured that even our farmers at the local level will be empowered,” he said.

He added that the committees have been reminded of their roles, approaches in disaster management, mitigation measures and how they can build resilience.

In her remarks, the Disaster Risk Management Officer for Nkhata Bay, Rachael Kamanga commended TRADE for the workshop as skills gained will help them handle the disasters they are facing.

“As councils, we do not only lack skills but also resources. However, we recognize that resources will never be sufficient.

“With the new skills we have acquired, we will respond effectively when disasters strike, even with limited resources,” she said.

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Karonga, Lyton Mwaungulu said that the training was necessary as the world is changing every day hence new skills gained are paramount.