111 / 196
[
] 109
The changing face of disaster
management in South Africa
Lance Williams, National Disaster Management Centre, South Africa; Pat Adams, President, DMISA
S
outh Africa has made significant progress in complying with
the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). There follows an
account of some of the important milestones the nation has
achieved in each of the HFA priority areas.
HFA Priority 1 is to ensure that disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a
national and local priority with a strong institutional base for imple-
mentation. Mainstreaming DRR is a crucial factor in the
implementation of the HFA, supported by sound policy and legislation.
Disaster Management Act No. 57 (2002) recognizes the wide-
ranging opportunities in South Africa to avoid and reduce disaster
losses through the concerted energies and efforts of all spheres of
government, civil society and the private sector. However, it also
acknowledges the crucial need for uniformity in the approach taken
by such a diversity of role players and partners.
The National Disaster Management Framework (NDMF),
published in 2005, is the legal instrument specified by the Act to
address such needs for consistency across multiple interest groups by
providing a coherent, transparent and inclusive policy on disaster
management. It recognizes a diversity of risks and disasters that occur
in Southern Africa, and gives priority to developmental
measures that reduce the vulnerability of disaster-prone
areas, communities and households.
The NDMF comprises key performance areas that are
informed by specified objectives, and each concludes with
a list of guidelines that will be disseminated by the
National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to
support the implementation of the NDMF in all three
spheres of government. The NDMC, Intergovernmental
Committee on Disaster Management (ICDM), National
Disaster Management Advisory Forum (NDMAF) and
similar mechanisms at provincial and municipal levels
have been established for systematic coordination of DRR.
The
South African Disaster Risk Management Handbook
series is being developed by the NDMC. Divided into
ten critical outcomes for the development and imple-
mentation of disaster risk management, each presented
as a separate handbook, it consists of a set of guidelines
and support materials to help district and metropolitan
municipalities and provinces to implement the Act and
the NDMF, and to mainstream DRR into developmental
plans and frameworks.
Monitoring and assessment
HFA priority 2 is to identify, assess and monitor disas-
ter risks, and enhance early warning systems. Disaster
risk assessments almost always require specialist input,
and South Africa has many research institutions, govern-
ment departments and private companies with expertise
in assessing and managing different types of risk.
When working with technical specialists, the commis-
sioning organ of state must define terms of reference
that specify feedback, consultation, skills transfer and
capacity building processes by the specialists commis-
sioned. This is particularly important given the complex
character of hazard and risk science for non-specialists,
and the serious legal and other implications of dissem-
inating incorrect or unverified disaster risk assessment
findings that inform planning decisions.
In South Africa, disaster risks are more significantly
shaped by social, economic and environmental condi-
tions than by external threats. It is therefore critical that
disaster risk assessments should be ‘ground-truthed’
(based on the actual situation ‘on the ground’), with field
consultations in areas and communities most at risk.
November 2007 flooding in the Eden District
Image: Western Cape Disaster Management