RUTANA March 20th (ABP) – Members of the provincial platform for risk prevention and disaster management in Rutana (Southeast) expressed on Friday the wish to see the national platform create a disaster fund for risk prevention and disaster management to deal with unfortunate events that occur from time to time due to climate change.
The recommendation was made at the end of a 3-day workshop organized by the Burundi Red Cross as part of the updating of the provincial contingency plan for risk prevention and disaster management.
Participants in that meeting, namely members of the provincial platform and some provincial heads of services, acknowledged and commended the existence of the Social Protection Support Fund (FAPS) which even helps disaster victims but found that it is necessary to create a fund for risk prevention and disaster management that would serve not only to deal with the victims of disasters but also to work on risk prevention. Another recommendation made to the national platform is to prepare projects that are relevant to the subject to be submitted to donors in order to build emergency stocks to deal with the occurrence of disasters.
In addition, that national platform was asked to advocate for the weather information that is broadcast on national television to have other broadcasting channels such as radio stations and other media, so that they would be known by a more wide audience.
In addition, the national platform was asked to verify that the implementation of the projects that are carried out complies with the provisions of the environmental impact studies, so that no one escapes. That platform is also called on to oversee and guide the activities of provincial platforms. With regard to the administration, it was recommended to guide the activities of the provincial platforms and to institutionalize its meetings. It was also recommended to popularize the water and environmental codes in the people and to require communes to include in their budget estimates a section of the funds allocated to risk prevention and care of disaster victims.
During the three days spent together, participants in the workshop learned about the humanitarian concepts of the contingency plan, the planning techniques and the planning process … They also analyzed the current context of the contingency plan, defined the emergency profile and prioritized the risks of disasters that may happen in the province. They defined the scenarios and overall response and reparation plans and sector plans before discussing resource mobilization and coordination mechanisms. They drew up that contingency plan taking into account the risks facing the province. The contingency plan that was updated was from 2016, it was recalled.