Disaster Management Journal Vol 1 No 5 by Fire and Rescue International

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• • • •

Fire: Deploys internationally in fire suppression. Floods: Relief during the floods in Malawi, delivering food. Environmental damage: Clears litter from beaches. International deployment: Severe and uncontrolled wildfires.

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Contents

Official Journal: Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa

Volume 1 No 5

DMISA President’s message

International Day for Disaster Reduction

South Africa commemorates IDDR

International Day for Disaster Reduction

Disaster preparedness and disaster

Dr Johan A Minnie

DMISA Councillor: Journal 3

Schalk W Carstens

Legislation 4

Amendments to the Disaster Management

Act, 2002 (Act no 57 of 2002) assented by the President - by Anè Bruwer Professionalisation 6

Progress towards professionalisation

- by Dr Johan Minnie Cover profile 10

Malawi pioneers peer review for disaster

risk reduction in Africa Profile: DMISA President 11

Meet Dr Johan Adriaan Minnie: President

management is everybody’s business 30

Stellenbosch Municipality hosts awareness

campaign in celebration of IDDR - by Wayne Smith Events 31

SAESI Conference 2015

Upcoming events 32

Disaster and risk reduction events across

the globe

of DMISA - by Patrick Adams News 13

First training course for SAQA approved

assessors and moderators - by Johannes Belle

Disaster recovery guidelines 14

Disaster recovery guidelines for the

Western Cape – by Richard Haridien Advertorial 15

BBA in Disaster Management at Stenden

South Africa

Disaster Management Centre 16

Eden District Municipality Disaster

Management Centre DMISA Conference and AGM 2015 19

Annual DMISA Conference and AGM 2015

DMS Conference 2015

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No 5

Disaster Management Solutions holds

risk conference

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DMISA President's message We have told each other again and again that disaster management is everybody’s business and this remains true; each and every one of us can make a difference with the right attitude and good intentions.

DMISA President Dr Johan A Minnie Deputy President Bafana Mazibuko

The fact that disaster management is everybody’s business does not detract from the fact that someone must take the lead, be the advocate or even the activist and harness the energy of stakeholders to influence the variables that constitute disaster risk. Someone must walk the talk and that practical action-oriented leadership role lies with the disaster management profession.

Councillor: Portfolio - Journal Schalk W Carstens Disaster Management Journal Editor Lee Raath-Brownie lee@fireandrescue.co Cell 082 371 0190 Journalist Claudette van Rensburg edit@fireandrescue.co Cell 071 641 3884 Advertising advertising@fireandrescue.co Cell 071 641 3884 Design and layout Marc Raath marc@fireandrescue.co Finance Noddie Knibbs accounts@fireandrescue.co Circulation Vicki Jacob subs@fireandrescue.co Secretary Vicki Jacob Administration Mirriam Moroane Contributions Anè Bruwer Dr Johan Minnie Pat Adams Johannes Belle Richard Haridien Wayne Smith Publisher Lee Raath-Brownie FIRE AND RESCUE INTERNATIONAL Tel 011 452 3135/6 Fax 086 671 6920 Box 8299 Greenstone 1616 www.fireandrescue.co Subscriptions 6 editions per annum South Africa R145 per annum incl VAT Non-subscribers R25 incl VAT per issue Southern Africa (airmail) R265 per annum International (airmail) R350 per annum Copyright All rights reserved 2

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Dr Johan A Minnie

his issue of the Disaster Management Journal comes at a time when South Africa is in the grip of a drought disaster affecting many areas of the country, when severe storms have prompted the declaration of a disaster in the City of Ekurhuleni, when recent fires have ravaged large tracts of informal settlements as well as properties on the urban interface with natural areas, when internationally the threat of fundamentalist attacks against innocent populations seem to be on the increase and the scourge of communicable diseases and especially HIV/AIDS continue to exact a heavy toll on humankind. The carnage on our roads continues unabated and industrial accidents remain an ever-threatening possibility while environmental damage due to hazardous materials spillages and other human activity persists. We as humankind also seem to be very adept at quickly forgetting or even ignoring signs that point to the increase of vulnerability and the imminent impact of hazards and to turn a blind eye to those small incidents and occurrences that slowly but surely chips away at the resilience of communities. In the light of so much negative information, it is critical that those that can influence disaster risk should be actively working together and should be making every effort to equip and commit themselves to make a positive change. Luckily, the number of people that can make a positive change to disaster risk is roughly equal to the number of people in the world, perhaps just minus the very young who are still babes in arms and totally dependent on others.

There is much work to be done and it is the ongoing mission of DMISA to support and help develop the practitioners and leaders of disaster management. At the end of 2015, DMISA can look back at a year with much exciting developments in our continuous efforts to serve the interests of disaster management practitioners, to create learning opportunities and to professionalise the discipline. During 2015, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) approved DMISA as the Professional Body for Disaster Management and approved the Disaster Management Professional designation. This is a critical milestone and can be celebrated as a major success. DMISA fully understands the responsibility that comes with this approval and we are committed to fully develop our systems, processes and structures to the benefit of our members and disaster management practitioners in general. Another article in this publication will describe the current efforts and achievements regarding professionalisation. DMISA is also delighted with the highly successful Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 conference that was held in Hartenbos. We are grateful for the wonderful support we received from our delegates as well as the exhibitors at the conference and for the support of our partners in the conference, the South African Weather Service; the Western Cape Government and the Eden District Municipality. We also enjoyed the valuable contribution of DiMTEC from the University of the Free State during their 10th year of existence that saw high profile international speakers sharing the stage at our conference. We wish to congratulate DiMTEC on their achievements and thank them for their continued support of DMISA. There is much more about the conference elsewhere in this issue. Volume 1

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DMISA Councilor: Journal

ince our publication circulated during the DMISA Conference in September this year, a lot has happened in the field of disaster management. Southern Africa is in a grip of a severe drought event. There is a shortage of water in certain places and then just to the opposite end of the scale, there was a damaging hail storm in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Record extreme hot temperatures were also logged over the past two months due to heat waves. With regards to the drought situation, it has been reported by a scientist that we are on the brink of the worst drought event in 50 years. The South African Weather Services (SAWS) has confirmed that this current drought event is a result of the El Niño climate phenomenon, which has been caused by the relative warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean and the rapid cooling of the Western Pacific ocean due to the change in wind patterns. This report also indicated that the dynamic climate change phenomenon has a direct relationship with the current El Niño. The same SAWS report referred to the possibility that climate change could more frequently increase the sea surface temperature, which in turn might be a trigger mechanism for future severe drought events. In Southern Africa, the consequences of this El Niño event resulted in drastic measures that needed to be instituted. First and foremost disasters had to be declared in several provinces in South Africa. In addition, agriculture officials are currently instituting urgent feeding schemes for animals in distress in drought stricken areas and the Department of Water Affairs as well as municipal officials are making sure that our dams are managed and that water restrictions are instituted as effectively as possible. More research will have to be commissioned from SAWS, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), various universities and other institutions in order to predict the link between drought, El Niño and climate change in the context of Southern Africa.

I hope readers will enjoy this issue of Disaster Management Journal and find valuable information that can help them in their daily responsibilities. Congratulations once again to the publisher Lee-Raath-Brownie and DMISA EXCO member, Schalk Carstens, Volume 1

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This brings us to the topic of drought and involvement of disaster management in this regard. There have been several indicators over the past two years that provided us with the necessary signals of a lurking drought situation. The question that needs to be posed is whether we, as disaster management, predicted this phenomenon and really reacted in time in terms of mitigating and/or preparing effectively for the consequences of such a severe drought? Let us leave that for our disaster management practitioners to answer; this may be food for thought as to how we should prepare differently in future. On a different note, there is some good news. DMISA is now a South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) accredited professional body and has recently registered their first Disaster Management Professionals. The next step is to as quickly as possible provide the same accreditation to the other categories ie Disaster Management Practitioners, Associates and Trainees. It is now also very important for DMISA to ensure that this SAQA accreditation is supported by the national, provincial and municipal authorities when appointing Disaster Management Officials in their respective organisations. The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) is just as important and DMISA should make sure that the current draft Memorandum of Understanding between DMISA and SALGA is finalised, signed and sealed as soon as possible.

Schalk Carstens semi-state funded institutions and when there is a problem in one of these essential and critical services delivery areas, we cannot expect these organisations to take full responsibility for the lack of service delivery. In the event of service disruptions, certain pre-identified government departments should be appointed to govern such state-owned enterprises. The president of South Africa, as prescribed in Section 4 of the Disaster Management Act, has to appoint the respective cabinet ministers who are responsible to oversee these stateowned enterprises.

In the previous publication it was also mentioned that we have to clarify disaster management’s role in how to effectively deal with the lack of the provision of essential services. It was also suggested that the disaster management fraternity be responsible for the clarification of who the current custodians are for these essential services ie water, electricity, sewerage, transport etc. The reason for this is that the ‘state owned enterprises’ are

With the present involvement and collaboration of disaster management in climate change, enterprise risk and business continuity it became evident that all these disciplines need to come together at some point in time to discuss the alignment of certain important definitions, methodologies and even protocols. The worst case scenario in any event is most certainly a disaster and disaster management definitions and methodologies should speak to all facets. The challenge that this will bring to the table is to get the above-mentioned disciplines to agree upon a standardised set of

for putting together a colourful, useful and insightful publication that prides the desks of disaster management practitioners across Southern Africa.

this opportunity to wish every reader a safe and happy festive season and a truly blessed 2016 full of adventure and doing well.

While this publication may only reach readers in early 2016, I would like to take

Dr Johan Minnie President: DMISA Disaster Management | 3

Legislation

Amendments to the Disaster

Management Act, 2002 (Act no 57 of 2002) assented by the president By AnĂ¨ Bruwer, Executive Manager: Disaster Management Legislation, Policy and Compliance Management National Disaster Management Centre

n 25 November 2015, the process of amending disaster management legislation has culminated in the National Assembly where support was voiced for the changes to existing legislation by all political parties, except the Economic Freedom Front (EFF). The Disaster Management Amendment Bill, 2015 was submitted to the President of South Africa for assent and was promulgated into law on 15 December 2015.

The key amendments to the Disaster Management Act, 2002, centre on strengthening reporting requirements to ensure that issues of disaster management and disaster risk reduction are elevated to the key intergovernmental structures where executive decisions are made at each sphere of government. This includes reporting on the implementation of policy and legislation relating to disaster risk reduction and management of funding allocated for

disaster management to municipal and provincial governments. This should elevate the function and provide it with the priority it deserves. It will also lead to enhanced accountability for disaster management.

Ken Terry

AnĂ¨ Bruwer

Jurgens Dyssel

terminology to describe for example risk, hazard, vulnerability, preparedness and response. Each of the abovementioned disciplines have different methods of defining risk and at the end of the day when we all have to work together, we unfortunately canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t compare apples with apples if we do not work under the same umbrella. These different methodologies will

only result in fruitless and wasteful expenditure as most of this research will have to be repeated to comply with disaster management principles.

I again want to convey my sincere appreciation to all those who have contributed towards this edition. Without the contribution of advertisers, the authors who have provided the very informative and well researched articles and last but not the least, the excellent contributions, assistance and support of our editor and publisher Lee Raath-Brownie, this publication would not be possible.

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Hopefully the above-mentioned might stimulate some thought and will encourage future discussions, research and the most importantly articles for our future DMISA publications.

One of the highlights of the amendments alludes to the extensive requirements for each organ of state to know and consider the risks it is facing and to improve integrated planning. Principles

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Legislation of disaster management are to be applied in each functional area, including expected climate change impacts and risks for the organ of state. Organs of state should also identify and map risks, areas, ecosystems, communities and households that are exposed and vulnerable to physical and humaninduced threats. The emphasis is on identifying those most at risk, those communities that are vulnerable to disasters such as floods and shack fires, which often cut a swathe through informal settlements, frequently leaving hundreds homeless in their wake. Risk reduction projects should be implemented to address these risks. Other provisions include the representation of traditional leaders in the disaster management advisory forums, providing for the National Disaster Management Advisory Forum to serve as the South Africa National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction thereby incorporating the obligations set out in global commitments ie Hyogo Framework of Action, followed by Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, emphasising the

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responsibility of organs of state to assist the disaster management structures and granting the Minister authority to make regulations on education, training, research and the classification and declaration of disasters. Some of the other exciting changes that were incorporated during the parliamentary process are the recognition of gender, age, disability and cultural perspectives and the principle of â&#x20AC;&#x153;build back betterâ&#x20AC;? in the legislation. For instance, the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) must be provided with a list of the measures implemented in order to restore communities and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure in a manner that makes those communities less vulnerable to disasters and strengthens their resilience. The legislation also prescribes that an analysis be done of the impact of a disaster in accordance with gender, age, disability and cultural perspectives. These requirements are in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) that has been adopted by United Nations (UN) Member States during March 2015. This

places South Africa in the forefront of incorporating Sendai commitments into domestic legislation. The importance of disaster management planning at each sphere of government has been emphasised. The amendments re-affirm the role of municipalities to establish capacity for the development and coordination of a multi-sector disaster management plan and the implementation of a disaster management function for the municipality. The amendments also acknowledge the need in some areas to establish a disaster management centre in a local municipality and subsequently provides for the establishment of a disaster management centre for a local municipality in terms of a service level agreement with the relevant district municipality. The Disaster Management Amendment Act, once promulgated, provides for WHAT needs to be done differently. It will then be upon each and every one of us to focus on HOW we implement the legislation and to be a disaster management change agent in 2016!

Disaster Management | 5

Professionalisation

Progress towards professionalisation By Dr Johan Minnie, president and portfolio holder for professionalisation

he Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA) has pursued the professionalisation of the discipline for a number of years. Through the hard work of many people within DMISA and the careful investment of funds, the quest to become a professional body has finally delivered results.

The existing SAQA approval of DMISA as Professional Body for Disaster Management and of the Disaster Management Professional designation is the first step towards establishing a clear path of progression through designations from a junior to a senior level. The following figure illustrates the currently approved designation and how it relates to the envisaged path of progression.

Professionalisation is necessary because society deserves the best possible disaster management personnel. The best people possible should be responsible for implementing the essentials of resilient communities, these people need to be recognised as professionals with a mandate for real action, there should be recognition of and respect for the discipline, the self-confidence and esteem of practitioners need to be strengthened and the extent, reach and nature of the profession should be clarified and clearly delineated.

Approved designation and designations to be applied for

DMISA is currently in the process of submitting applications for the remaining three designations on the path of progression.

Extract from SAQA letter In order for DMISA to make an application for recognition by South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), a lengthy process had to be followed. DMISA was evaluated by SAQA during 2014 and early 2015, the SAQA Directorate: Registration and Recognition on 3 March 2015 informed DMISA that the SAQA Board approved the recognition of DMISA as a professional body for the purposes of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Act, Act 67 of 2008. The registration of the designation â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Disaster Management Professionalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as a professional designation on the NQF was also approved. Persons who played a pivotal role in the preparation and submission of the application to SAQA includes the Training and Capacity Building Portfolio Holder on DMISA EXCO, Owen Becker; DMISA Councillor Erika Swart; past President and past EXCO Chair and DMISA Councillor, Andre van Rensburg; past President and past EXCO Chair and DMISA Councillor Anthony Kesten; Immediate Past President, Dr Mal Reddy; the Administrator, Karin Muller and past President and the current chairperson of EXCO, Pat Adams. 6

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Upon receiving notification of the approval by SAQA, DMISA had to rapidly respond by setting in place mechanisms to invite and receive the first applications for the designation of Disaster Management Professional. As President of the Institute, I am responsible for the professionalisation portfolio and therefore had to make sure that DMISA exercised due diligence in setting these processes in motion and that we complied with SAQA requirements. Fortunately, EXCO Chairperson Pat Adams, who holds the portfolio of finances and administration, was ready to drive the practical implementation of this process, making sure that things run smoothly and on time and that we achieve our goals. Required qualification The required underlying qualification for registration as a Disaster Management Professional is a Disaster Management Qualification at NQF level 7, as illustrated in the following figure.

Qualification requirement for Disaster Management Professional Volume 1

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Professionalisation The applicant will need to provide certified proof of a Bachelor’s Degree/Advanced Diploma (four years) in Disaster Management/Disaster Risk Management or another relevant qualification with a focus on disaster management. Required experience The required experience for registration as a Disaster Management Professional (experiential learning and practical experience) is seven years’ experience in a senior management position of which at least three should have been in a full time disaster management position at a management level. The following figure illustrates the experience requirement.

RPL dispensation In terms of the Policy for the Recognition of Prior Leaning (RPL), the Institute will provide a system whereby members in any category of membership who apply for a SAQA registered disaster management designation (only Disaster Management Professional is currently registered) may apply for recognition of prior knowledge, skills, experience, qualifications and part qualifications to be considered as criteria by which credits are accumulated for recognition for admission to the designation. The assessment will be conducted by two assessors acting independently and for moderation by a third party. Recommendations will be forwarded to the Technical Training Board for finalisation of the process, where after it will be submitted to the executive committee for ratification. In both the straight application based on qualifications and experience and the RPL-route application, a portfolio of evidence is required, which will be assessed and moderated.

Experience requirement The applicant can prove evidence of five years’ experience in a senior managerial position with at least three years in a full time disaster management position at a strategic management level through documented proof of functioning in a full-time disaster management position, eg an approved job description/appointment letter and proof of functioning in the position for the required period. DMISA understands a senior management position as being a person in a strategic management position within an organisation, with the definition of management as defined in a reputable dictionary. A full time disaster management position is a position that includes disaster management or aspects of disaster management within the title of the post or within the documented responsibilities of the post. One year of experience in a disaster management position would relate to any period of 12 months in which a person functioned in a full-time disaster management position for the full 12 months. The experience is from date of appointment, not from the start of a calendar year (ie January). No board or admission examination or assessment is required to be registered as a Disaster Management Professional. CPD requirement Once registered, a Disaster Management Professional must earn 10 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points per year or 20 in a two year cycle to remain eligible for registration.

As part of RPL within the application process, DMISA will consider applications for the Disaster Management Professional with qualifications other than a NQF 7 in Disaster Management, provided that proof of specified amounts of experience in disaster management can be provided. This is illustrated in the following table: Table 1: Required qualifications and corresponding experience: Disaster Management Professional RPL considerations for designation: Disaster Management Professional (DMPr) Required qualification

15-20 years in the field of DisMan Any NQF 5 + Any NQF 6 + Any NQF 7 + Any NQF 8 +

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10-15 years in the field of DisMan 8-10 years in the field of DisMan 5-8 years in the field of DisMan

The proposed levels of qualification and required experience for the additional three proposed designations are provided in the following table. Table 2: Required qualifications and corresponding experience: Proposed Disaster Management Designations

Proposed designation

Disaster Management Practitioner (DMPc)

Continuing professional development points requirement

Required experience

Required qualification

Corresponding experience requirement

NQF (7) in DisMan

3 years in the field of DisMan 10-15 years in the field of DisMan

Any NQF 5 + Any NQF 6 + Any NQF 7 +

8-10 years in the field of DisMan 5-8 years in the field of DisMan Volume 1

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Professionalisation NQF 6 in DisMan Disaster Management Associate (DMA)

3 years in the field of DisMan 8-10 years in the field of DisMan

Any NQF 5 + Any NQF 6 + Any NQF 7 +

5-8 years in the field of DisMan 3-5 years in the field of DisMan

NQF 5 in DisMan Disaster Management Trainee (DMT)

3 years in the field of DisMan 5-8 years in the field of DisMan

Any NQF 5 + Any NQF 6 + Any NQF 7 +

3-5 years in the field of DisMan 1-3 years in the field of DisMan

Designation awarding process Candidates who have completed a relevant qualification and the necessary practical/workplace experience may apply to become members and to be awarded a DMISA professional designation. The application is processed by the administrative staff for completeness, is then independently assessed and moderated and if approved submitted to the DMISA executive committee for approval. The applications are considered by the executive committee and the professional designation awarded or the application rejected on the basis of non-compliance with the criteria or because of known previous unprofessional conduct. The executive committee then actions the issuing of a certificate of professional designation to successful applicant.

must ensure that the practitioner is competent to perform the tasks associated with that profession. Context of current DMISA membership Existing corporate/graduate/fellow membership of DMISA, combined with qualifications, will strengthen an RPL portfolio of evidence. Years of active membership can add value to the RPL process. Conclusion and way forward While DMISA has made great progress in professionalisation in 2015, much work still remains to be done. The recognition of DMISA as the Professional Body for Disaster Management and the registration of the Disaster Management Professional designation are critical milestones and can be celebrated as a major success. DMISA fully understands the responsibility that comes with this approval and we are committed to fully develop our systems, processes and structures to the benefit of our members and disaster management practitioners in general. During the past few months after the SAQA approval, the chairperson of EXCO, Pat Adams, and the administrator, Karin Muller, has worked tirelessly to establish and manage the administrative and financial aspects of the application and registration process and DMISA was able to invite and consider the first batch of applicants for the Disaster Management Professional designation. During this period members of EXCO also supported the development of forms, systems and processes through constructive and positive inputs. I want to single out Owen Becker for his considerable contribution in this regard, while every member of EXCO has continued to participate in robust debate and consensus-seeking on all the issues we needed to address. I also want to thank Dr Mal Reddy for her introductory presentation of the first CPD session DMISA ever had, which took place at the DMISA Conference in Hartenbos. Bafana Mazibuko, Anthony Kesten, Mduduzi Nkumalo and Schalk Carstens also made valuable contributions in getting the process underway and maintaining momentum. DMISA also thankfully grabbed the helping hand extended by DiMTEC to get a first batch of assessors trained for the purpose of assessing and ultimately moderating applications. We are truly grateful to DiMTEC and specifically Prof Andries Jordaan for their continued support in this regard.

Designation awarding process Additional requirements Additional requirements to qualify for registration in the designation of Disaster Management Professional are: • At least a code EB Driver’s license; • Project management training and experience; and • Financial management training and experience. Evidence of compliance with these requirements will also need to be provided. Approval brings responsibility It is important to keep in mind that the purpose of a professional body is quality control, ie to protect the public by ensuring that competent practitioners provide the required level of service. When issuing the ‘licence to practice’, the professional body Volume 1

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In order to apply due process with the consideration of the first batch of applicants, the portfolio holder for professionalisation as well as EXCO chairperson, Pat Adams, turned to qualified assessor and past president of DMISA, Geoff Laskey, to assess the applications and were fortunate to enrol the assistance of Dr Cinde Greyling from UFS/DiMTEC to moderate the applications. With the ongoing involvement of Pat Adams to drive the process, both Geoff Laskey and Dr Greyling have made additional valuable suggestions to further streamline and develop the application process. The results of the first batch of applications will soon be made public by DMISA. The invitation to apply for the Disaster Management Professional designation remains open and the application form and process descriptions as well as other supporting documents are available on the DMISA website www.disaster.co.za. These are exciting times and I wish to encourage DMISA members to become involved in the further professionalisation of Disaster Management. As President of DMISA and portfolio holder for professionalisation, I will endeavour to keep DMISA members updated with regular feedback on the ongoing process of professionalisation. Disaster Management | 9

Cover profile

Malawi pioneers peer review for disaster risk reduction in Africa

being reviewed in 2012 by Sweden, Finland and Italy. The following year, Finland was reviewed by Austria, France, Georgia and the United Kingdom. Since the pilot reviews in the United Kingdom and Finland, a European programme for peer reviews within the framework of European Union cooperation on civil protection and disaster risk management has been developed.

Malawi’s January 2015 floods claimed almost 300 lives and displaced 230 000 people

frica has cleared a new milestone in its drive to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The pioneer is Malawi, which has undergone a peer review of its policies and actions, almost a year after being battered by floods. A ten-day assessment of Malawi by three specialists each from Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe in December launched a process that wraps up in the coming months with the presentation of Africa’s first-ever peer review report on disaster risk reduction. The South African team included Adele Fourie, international relations; Gerhard Otto represented the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA) and Jacqueline Pandaram the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC). “Though Malawi has a newly adopted Disaster Risk Management Policy and a Disaster Risk Management Bill is being drafted, the real integration of disaster risk reduction into developmental departments remains a challenge,” said Bernard Sande, Malawi’s Secretary and Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs.

the Sendai Framework, a wide-ranging, 15year global agreement that aims to reduce substantially the human and economic costs of natural and man-made hazards. Malawi had announced its commitment to be peer reviewed at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, in Sendai, Japan. The Sendai Framework is the successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action, a global agreement adopted in 2005. Peer reviewing is an important tool to help take stock of countries’ efforts to reduce disaster risk and to share lessons among them in order to help national and international policy-making in disaster risk management. The Sendai Framework identifies strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk as a key priority for action. A voluntary process, peer reviewing began in Europe during the Hyogo Framework era, with the United Kingdom

Malawi’s peer review process is being funded by the European Commission, with the reviewers supported by colleagues from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). The review team conducted consultations with and interviewed key representatives of the Malawian government including the Office of the Vice President and directors and senior officials from over 15 ministries and departments. Additionally, the team met several development partners working in Malawi at national and local levels. The team also travelled to Salima District, one of the locations most seriously affected by the 2015 floods. They consulted district officials and members of the district executive committee and visited community sites where disaster risk reduction projects are underway. The final peer review report will give a clear assessment on how Malawi has fared on each of a series of objectives, identify best practices uncovered and give recommendations based on the reviewers’ own experiences, as well as offering them lessons to apply in their own countries.

“The recommendations generated from the peer review process will be key in making this happen and preventing a repeat of the devastating floods of 2015,” he added. The January 2015 floods claimed almost 300 lives, displaced 230 000 people and disrupted access to food, sanitation, drinking water, medication and health services. The crisis came just two months before the international community adopted 10

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The South African team included Adele Fourie, Gerhard Otto and Jacqueline Pandaram

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Profile: DMISA President

Meet Dr Johan Adriaan Minnie: President of DMISA

By Patrick Adams, DMISA: Chairperson of Executive Committee

ohan Minnie was elected as the President of the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA) at a special Council meeting of DMISA held in Durban on 19 September 2014. The first thing I remember about Johan Minnie is the day back in 1998, when he visited my office at the former Oostenberg Municipality. I found him pleasant, warm, friendly and very humble colleague. My observation during our conversation made me think that Johan is destined for great achievements in the disaster management fraternity. Johan joined DMISA back in October 1998. He was elected to the National Council of DMISA in 2002 and currently serves as President for the term 2014 to 2016. He has served in the Executive Committee since 2004. Johan also serves on the Western Cape Regional Committee for fifteen-years of which he was chairperson for three terms from 2002 to 2008. He obtained the following qualifications, among other: 2011: PhD in Public and Development Management (Critical Success Factors for Public-Private Partnerships), School of Public Leadership, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa 2000: MPA (Masters in Public and Development Management), School of Public Management and Planning, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa 1998: BA (Hons) Public and Development Management (Cum Laude), School of Public Management and Planning, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa 1994: BMil (BA) Public Management and Political Science, Military Academy (Faculty of Military Science) University of Stellenbosch, South Africa He enjoys the satisfaction of learning and has a strong desire to contribute, enhance and broaden the general body of knowledge as well as his own knowledge and skills. He is married to Jorina with three children, Juanita, Adri and Riaan and enjoys photography, gardening, Voortrekkers and mountain biking. Volume 1

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Llen Labuscagne, Ferdi Mostert, Louise Swanepoel, John Brown, Elizabeth Adonis, Roy Veldtmann, Johan Minnie at the DMISA Western Cape meeting at the Stellenbosch Golf Club around 1999 or 2000.

In addition, the following questions were posed to Johan: How did you become interested in disaster management? Growing up in Worcester in the Cape Winelands; Johan Minnie had contact with hearing and vision-impaired children at a very early age from the De la Bat and Pioneer schools. Johan has a strong Christian upbringing and through this involvement in the church and other youth activities, from early on he realised that there were people around him that had immense challenges to contend with and that he was in a position to help others. He remembers distinctly how he took a blind friend to ‘see’ the impressive ‘Preekstoel’ in the Worcester Moedergemeente with his bare hands and what a profound influence that experience had on him. In their family they were taught to be humble and thankful and he developed an understanding that his role in life should be to serve others through the gifts that he had received, in order to help others face their challenges and improve their situation. He matriculated in 1990 but almost failed accounting because the day

he wrote his final exam, when he should have been studying, he was hanging around in front of their house trying to catch a glimpse of Nelson Mandela passing in a convoy to deliver a speech at Boland Park just a block away. It was the second last year of Military Conscription and as the youngest of five sons, he jumped at the opportunity to study through the Military and lessen the burden of tertiary studies on his parents. When the 1994 Elections came he was a young officer completing his studies at the Military Academy in Saldanha. A surprisingly open-minded education at the academy in Political signs and Public Administration brought the realisation that he could serve his country and countrymen through public service. At first, he gravitated towards counter-intelligence, a discipline focus on protecting the citizens and interest in a country against hostile intentions but as he continued his studies in public and development management, an interest in services marketing developed and he became aware of other areas, which promised adventure, new challenges requiring creativity and the opportunity to more directly help others. Disaster Management | 11

Profile: DMISA President and to establish and maintain a broadbased culture of disaster risk reduction and effective disaster response. The country as a whole needs to invest more in this endeavour but each disaster management professional must also invest themselves, working harder and smarter towards achieving disaster risk reduction.

Dr Johan Minnie, Karin Muller and Pat Adams In 1998, the same year as the publishing of the green paper on Disaster Management, an opportunity opened up at the Cape Metropolitan Council for a marketing and liaison person in the Disaster Management Unit and he grabbed the opportunity and applied. Johan could not have asked for a better manager and mentor in Geoff Laskey with his first job in disaster management. Geoff took him in as a raw recruit and gave him the space and opportunity to grow and develop as a disaster management professional. Since 1998, he has tried to better his understanding of disaster management and to be of service to others through this noble profession.

Disaster Management in South Africa has come a long way since 1998 but Johan believes the good intentions in the Green Paper, White Paper, Act and Framework have not yet been realised and we have a lot of work left to do. While the hazards we are faced with are on the increase, we must guard against the erosion of resilience and coping capacity. The energy that came with the promulgation of the Act and Framework back in 2002 and 2005 respectively seems to have dissipated and although there are pockets of excellence and progress in reducing disaster risk, the challenge we are faced with is to maintain momentum

What goals do you have as president of DMISA? Johan thinks professionalisation and recognition of the discipline is a central goal of DMISA at the moment. From his perspective DMISA needs to work on three key goals in the short to medium term and these are his personal goals as President of DMISA as well. Firstly, we need to stay focused on our core business, supporting the discipline and those in practice in a way that enhances their ability to help others through their work. Secondly, we need to drive professionalisation, making sure that we are in a position to ensure that our practitioners are equipped, qualified and recognised. Thirdly, he wants to ensure that DMISA, which has so much to offer to its members and the discipline, builds its visibility and reputation. In a nutshell, we need to walk the talk. Any words of wisdom for disaster management practitioners? As disaster management professionals we tend to become very operational and focused on preparedness and response and we

Your view of disaster management in South Africa He first became aware of Disaster Management and its South African predecessor Civil Protection at school during evacuation exercises and bomb threat evacuations. As a young boy, he remembered going to Laingsburg after the 1981 flood with his family to help relatives staying in a tent next to their mud-filled house on a farm to dig out and clean their possessions. In Worcester they felt tremors every now and then and people would talk about the 1969 Tulbagh earthquake that affected the whole region. In his brief military career, Johan also came into contact with Disaster Management structures and found what they did, fascinating. So when he started work in Disaster Management in 1998 he dove into it with great gusto and enjoyed every moment. 12

Disaster Management

Radio Tygerberg in the Western Cape in 1999, Ferdi Mostert and Johan Minnie presented a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Safety Tipsâ&#x20AC;? radio programme every morning in the run-up to Y2K and for a year afterwards Volume 1

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News

First training course for SAQA approved assessors and moderators

By Johannes Belle, regional chairperson for DMISA Free State Region and Lecturer at UFS-DiMTEC

DMISA/DiMTEC assessors course participants

ne of the requirements for the professionalisation of the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA) is to have its members assessed and registered on the DMISA database for the various categories of professional memberships approved and others to be approved by South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). In response to this imperative, DMISA and DiMTEC organised the first training course for assessors and moderators. The one week course was held from 28 September to 2 October 2015 in Bloemfontein. A total number of 10

kind of lose the focus on strategic risk reduction. With limited resources few of us have the luxury of taking a step back out of the day-to-day grind of trying to help people and to really reflect on how well we are doing what we need to do. Johan does not profess to have a lot of wisdom to share but he can Volume 1

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assessors were trained and more are to be trained during a subsequent training course to be organised later. The assessor course is officially registered by SAQA with Unit Standard identity (US ID) 115753 and with the title Conducting Outcomes Based Assessment. Participants were trained on formative, summative, practical and workplace assessment. At the end of the training Owen Becker, a national councillor of DMISA in charge of the Training, Skills Development, Standards and Tours portfolio thanked the facilitator on behalf of DMISA while Dr Andries Jordaan and Alice Ncube thanked DiMTEC.

suggest that we need to make time to reflect and think more and then, very importantly, to act strategically on what we discover through our reflections and self-evaluation. He thinks that, “We need to remind ourselves every day why we chose this career path, keep our priorities straight and focus on doing good and doing it well”.

The participants echoed their overwhelming satisfaction with the way the training was conducted while the facilitator remarked it was the best training workshop she has ever facilitated. The service provider for the training was Central Business Academy and was facilitated by Cindé Greyling, who is a qualified assessor and moderator registered with SAQA. Cindé has a rich and extensive experience of 15 years in providing such courses and has just completed her PhD in disaster management from UFS-DiMTEC.

He is sincere in his approach; his quiet and polite manners ensure excellent relations with his colleagues; Johan is an exceptional and genuine human being. In DMISA activities, one can clearly see that he is passionate about disaster management and the people who practice it – and that is what really matters when you are the President of the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa. I salute you… Disaster Management | 13

Disaster recovery guidelines

Disaster recovery guidelines for the Western Cape

By Richard Haridien, manager: disaster recovery, Western Cape Disaster Management Centre

requesting funding for disaster recovery purposes through the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) and National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC). An elaboration of the various financial allocations is dealt with in the approved disaster recovery guidelines.

Site visit to the Lourensriver catchment in Somerset West

he province of the Western Cape remains one of the most disasterprone provinces in South Africa. Its diversity of ecosystems includes coastal habitats, semi-arid/arid inland areas, mountain ranges and densely populated urban settlements. In addition, fastgrowing metropolitan areas such as Cape Town, concentrate a wide range of essential commercial and government services, along with a multitude of industrial and manufacturing activities. Particularly rapid growth in urban areas has been reflected in the expansion of informal settlements in underserved and often environmentally fragile areas. At the same time, formal development has pushed the urban fringe into fire-dependent ecological zones. These changes are reflected in patterns of disaster occurrence that include both low-frequency high-impact events, as well as an increased frequency of low-impact occurrences, often in rapidly growing urban areas. Many of the province’s formally ‘declared disasters’ are triggered by extreme weather and characterised by large-scale informal settlement, veld and urban fringe fires, severe wind and rain storms, flash floods and drought. These events occur along our coast, within the Cape Town metropolis and in remote areas inland. The province’s past ‘declared events’ are even more dramatically outnumbered by the multitude of small- and medium-size undeclared disaster events that cause

Disaster Management

cumulative losses to households and local authorities every year. The likelihood of rising temperatures and increasing weather extremes expected worldwide will be mirrored in the Western Cape. The province is already exposed to strong winds, rainfall extremes, rising temperatures and coastal storm surges. These provincial disaster risk trends parallel those that have generally occurred across South Africa over the past decade, underlining the urgency to reform prevailing disaster management legislation and regulation.

Regardless of the source of the funding, it is expected that initial assessments, verifications and progress reports pertaining to high-impact events be submitted to the PDMC and NDMC. Once it is determined that a specific event requires more resources than a particular municipality or provincial department can deal with and they have also exhausted their own funds and related funding provisions, a funding application could be made to the NDMC for four types of funding as stipulated in the disaster recovery guidelines. Stakeholders throughout the Western Cape Province have been requesting some form of guideline to assist them in dealing with situations in the aftermath of major disasters. In order to bring about a Disaster more structured standard way of recoveryand guidelines handling matters where damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services have taken place, it was necessary to develop a comprehensive disaster recovery guideline. This guideline also seeks to bring about alignment with other crucial pieces of legislation and policy.

In the event of a disaster, rapid response is imperative. Funds are required to effectively support response and recovery efforts, including the provision of rescue services, basic humanitarian services and critical infrastructure repair. All this is done with the objective of ensuring restoration for the functioning of the affected community as well as that of its services. The assumption is that each hazard owner (organ of state operating within its own core business) should take full responsibility for developing adequate disaster management plans with the available resources to deal with disaster incidents impacting their assets.

However, the Disaster Management Act, number 57 of 2002, is currently in the parliamentary process to be amended and could also impact on this guideline, which then needs to be amended accordingly.

It is understood that affected municipalities and provincial departments first access funds from their own budgets, approve a re-prioritisation of their budgets, as well as other related conditional grants, before

This is the very first guideline of its kind that have been finalised in the country. Focussed group workshops will also be done to explain the disaster recovery processes further.

Stakeholders are advised to visit the Department of Local Government of the Western Cape’s website on this link: URL to DM Recovery Guidelines: https://www.wester ncape.gov.za/ assets/departments/local-government/ Publications/Awareness_Programmes/ Emergency_Contacts/Disaster_incidents/ disaster_recovery_guidelines_2015.pdf to access the disaster recovery guidelines.

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Stenden south africa The BBA in Disaster Management arrives at a time when the world is experiencing a series of escalating and unpredictable disasters â&#x20AC;&#x201C; South Africa is no different. Disasters have a severe impact on the poor and vulnerable, making the need for a standardised disaster management in South Africa all that more imperative. Join Stenden South Africa and set the standards for an era of qualified disaster management in South Africa. Programme Four years full time. Final eight months is an industrial placement in the disaster management industry. Method Problem-based learning in a modular system. A coordinating theme is central to each module. Degree Bachelor of Business Administration (Disaster Management). Module themes The context of disaster management English communication 1 and 2 Human resources management Communication 1 and 2 Project management (theory) Spanish communication 1 and 2 Disaster management planning and implementation Introduction to research Disaster response role players and relationships Logistics management Project cycle management (practical) Field research 1 and 2 Financial management Managing climate change and its effects Research methodology Strategic management and disaster management operations Minor/specialisations Climate change, severe weather and disasters Food security in Africa Gender and disasters International protocol and diplomatic studies (Stenden University Bangkok) Green logistics (Stenden University Netherlands) Additional Operational, supervisory and management training within the industry. Training in modern languages (English, French and Spanish). Contact Stenden South Africa Tel: +27 (0) 46 604 2200 Fax: +27 (0) 86 604 4284 Email: info@stenden.com Visit our website: www.stenden.ac.za Volume 1

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Disaster Management | 15

Disaster Management Centre

Eden District Municipality Disaster Management Centre

throughout the district and no formal joint operation command facility existed. Establishing the centre cost approximately R16 million and a further +/- R10 million operational cost for first four years. Most of the capital items were on a lease to own basis. Its current operational cost is approximately R4 million per annum.

The Eden District Municipality Disaster Management Centre (DMC) is situated in George on the Garden Route coastline in the Western Cape

he Eden District Municipality Disaster Management Centre (DMC) was original established in December 2008 and is situated in George on the Garden Route coastline in the Western Cape. Eden’s Disaster Management operates on a budget of budget R5 087 070 for the 2015/2016 year period and has a population of 574 265 (2011 census). We met with the Head of Centre, Gerhard Otto and his team during a recent visit to George.

Otto provided a foundation and background to the Eden District Municipality’s Disaster Management Centre. The establishment of a proper functioning emergency and disaster management centre has been in the planning since 2004 but it was only after the 2006/2007 floods that Eden’s executive management realised the importance of a centralised coordination platform for the district. Before the establishment of the centre communications were fragmented

Head of centre is Gerhard Otto

Wouter Jacobs

Disaster Management

Organisational structure and staff The Eden DMC is housed in the Emergency Services Section of the Community Services Department with Clive Africa as the executive director. The section is managed by Gerhard Otto, manager for emergency services, which is divided into two sub components namely Fire Services and the Eden Disaster Management Centre. The Disaster Management Centre is essentially split in two main functional areas, the emergency call centre and the disaster management section. The call centre is staffed by emergency services personnel, private ambulance staff, Eden District Municipality call centre staff as well as volunteers. The call centre operational command is executed by two supervisors, Stella Bouwer (Tippie) and Quinton Piek.

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Disaster Management Centre In essence, the centre employs three full time staff members assisted by one part time member one week per month. The disaster management section is staffed by one permanent disaster management coordinator, as well as a shared function between the Eden District Municipality and the Central Karoo District Municipality. Gerhard Otto is the head of the centre, responsible for the overall management, planning and supervision of all the DMC activities, the centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supervisor, Tippie Bouwer, overseeing staffing of the call centre and ensuring logistical support during periods of activation and the disaster management coordinator, Wouter Jacobs, who acts as deputy to the head of the DMC and oversees that the joint operations centre (JOC) is 100 percent operational at all times. Part time employee, Hein Rust, is responsible for the Klein Karoo area in terms of all disaster management activities. In terms of this service level agreement (SLA) Hein Rust work for the Eden District Municipality for one week per month.

The operational command centre

The services of Disaster Management Solutions (DMS) has been utilised to train all the staff. When asked if the centre has enough competent staff for the rescues at hand, Otto replied, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, not at all, especially not at local municipal level.â&#x20AC;? Challenges A number of challenges are faced by the centre, which mirrors challenges faced by most of the disaster management centres in South Africa. These include the buy-in of all emergency service role-players, funding constraints and the lack of suitably trained staff at local municipality level.

Eden call centre staff, Gail Bekeer, Danika Olivier, Elieen Trimm, Stella (Tippie) Bouwer, Mercia Xolani and Aurelia Wildeman

On his wish list, Otto says, is a proper disaster management information management system linked to real time climatic and line function datasets to better guide operational activities. Operations All operational activities of the Eden DMC are guided by the terms of section 44 of the Disaster Management Act. The centre operates on a 24 hour basis and boasts dedicated disaster management facilities. Dimension Data maintains its information technology (IT) platform. Stakeholders that form part of the DMC call centre section include Eden Volume 1

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The disaster management call centre Disaster Management | 17

Disaster Management Centre whether contingency plans were used, Otto answered, “Yes, but I believe in a one pager contingency plan stating who should do what with what resources and in a given timeframe.”

The emergency call centre

Equipment The DMC has been equipped with the latest Caremon X call taking and dispatch software. Aurecon assisted the Eden District Municipality to equip the centre with hardware and software for incident management. The project included installation of a customised information system and a disaster management workstation, equipped with Aurecon's GEM (C3) emergency readiness system. This system is an integrated software solution designed to assist a government organisation in identifying potential disasters or mitigating the impact and severity of actual disasters. A number of monitors and screens provide displays of AFIS and weather-related data as well links to a centrally located server with geographic information system (GIS) maps and data for the whole region. Hardware includes mostly Hewlett Packard (HP) and DELL and a multiband radio system with Motorola radios. All data is digitised on the GIS platform.

Eden is one of five districts in the Western Cape

District Municipality’s Emergency Management Services, Mossel Bay Municipality and ER24. The most common incident/ emergency scenarios that the DMC encounters includes floods, wildfires, drought, animal diseases, rock falls, hazardous material (hazmat) incidents and major road traffic accidents. When asked whether there were any incidents unique to the DMC, Otto replied, “Not really but I am sure this is the one DMC in the country that had to deal with the most disasters in the last six years. The centre is activated on average about once a quarter during the past six year period. 18

Disaster Management

“Preparation for disasters starts with a comprehensive communitybased disaster risk assessment, the determination of vulnerable communities as well as the evaluation of the capacity of communities to deal with these identified risks. Once this has been done disaster risk reduction plans is compiled and included into the district as well as local integrated development planning strategies,” says Otto. “Contingency planning, table top exercises as well as real scenario simulation exercises are also done to be better prepared to deal with any eventuality,” he added. When asked

Ideal situation When we asked Otto what he would do differently in an ideal situation, he replied, “I would make it compulsory for local authorities to employ dedicated suitably qualified disaster management officials and then second these staff to the district DMC for operational command and control. I would place the head of disaster management in the office of the municipal manager with a closer link to the IDP manager. The ultimate DMC We asked Otto to describe the ultimate DMC should there be no budget constraints. “I presume a nationally integrated real time command and control platform with access to all national-, provincial and local data and electronic communication links to all the local municipalities in the district would be the ultimate. Real time live video streaming of major events as well as from equipped local joint operation centres (JOCs) would also be available.” “And the cherry on the top would be dedicated suitably qualified disaster management officials in place on all levels of government." Volume 1

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DMISA Conference and AGM 2015

DMISA Conference and Agm 2015

he Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA) held its annual conference from 9 to 10 September 2015 at the ATKV resort in Hartenbos situated on the beautiful Southern Cape Garden Route coastline in South Africa’s Western Cape Province. The conference theme being, “The 2030 resilience, sustainability and adaptation mandate: a new action agenda for disaster risk reduction’, was notably present not only in the key note address and the conference programme but strongly featured in the discussion as well. After the warm welcome by DMISA’s deputy president, Bafana Mazibuko, the traditional candle lighting ceremony and a minute of silent reflection for those who lost their lives in disasters was performed by immediate past president, Dr Mal Reddy. DMISA president, Dr Johan Minnie, provided an introduction and overview of the proceedings, setting a tone of preparedness. Alderlady Marie Ferreira, executive mayor of Mossel Bay Municipality, reviewed recent floods and droughts in the region and highlighted the fact that the biggest desalination plant in South Africa is situated in Mossel Bay. Councillor Lionel Essau, acting executive mayor for Eden District Municipality gave an overview of disaster management in Eden, briefly outlining its inherent natural disasters and highlighting the impact disasters have on the poorest of the poor, adding that it takes up to 10 years for some families to recover from a disaster and that some never recover. Western Cape’s Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, provided insight into the provincial

A moment of silence commemorating those that have lost their lives in disasters

perspectives of disaster management overview, highlighting the importance of a singular command structure for health, police and fire. He added that it is very difficult to prove that prevention works and mentioned the biggest challenge being informal settlement fire. He also pledged Western Cape Province’s support should other provinces need assistance.

Basics approach and mentioned the impact of ageing infrastructure on disaster risk. Minister Nel added that South Africa was facing drought conditions as a result of prolonged lower-than required rainfall and highlighted the importance of all relevant stakeholders putting measures in place to prevent and mitigate the situation before it escalates to a disaster event.

The keynote speaker, the national Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Pravin Gordhan, was unable to attend but the Deputy Minister, Andries Nel, was Skyped in. Minister Nel briefly outlined the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 to 2030 and the role of National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) in the implementation of the Sendai Framework. He updated attendees on the Disaster Management Amendment Bill 2015 confirming that the Amendment Bill has been passed by the National Assembly and is now before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). He discussed the interface between Sendai Framework and Government’s Back to

Global resilience through smart science, planning and implementation was the topic of discussion by Prof Dr Jakob Rhyner, vice rector of the United Nations University, summarising projects in Bangladesh and in the Caribbean. Rhyner highlighted the importance of educating the next generation.

Prof Dr Jakob Rhyner, Cllr Lionel Essau, Minister Anton Bredell, Dr Johan Minnie and Ken Terry Volume 1

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Ken Terry, Head of the NDMC, summarised the achievements of the NDMC during the past year, providing insight into disaster/rescue response to complex incidents such as the Nigerian church collapse and the floods in Malawi. “It is important to find a balance between risk reduction and response,” said Terry.

Eden Disaster Management, hosts of this year’s conference, won best team award Disaster Management | 19

The Southern Cape FPA’s Danie Grabe and Dirk Smit

The South African Weather Service’s team

The Western Cape Government’s team

The Aurecon team

The DMS team

The Sysman Group team

Stenden South Africa’s Martha Kabaka and Amy McLeod

UNISA’s Felicity Monareng

The SRK Consulting team

Uniforms of George’s Sine Strydom

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DMISA Conference and AGM 2015

DMISA councillors at the annual general meeting ‘There is no one-size-fits-all scenario. We need a paradigm shift in response to disasters. Risk reduction is getting back to basics. We have beautifully written documents in our offices. Do you know what is written in it?” reminded Terry. Dr Mal Reddy, DMISA’s past president, provided background to the professionalisation of the disaster management discipline, explaining the reasoning behind the professionalisation, the process, current status and the way forward.

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This year’s conference boasted a number of international speakers including Prof Alexandru Ozunu, Dean of the Faculty Environmental Engineering at the University of Babois Baloi in Romania; Dr Matej Cerk of the University of Llubjana in Slovenia; Dr Joerg Szarsynski, academic director at the United Nations University and Prof Dr Primoz Banovec, professor at the faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering at the University of Llubjana in Slovenia. The team was guests of the University of the Free State DiMTEC.

Alderlady Marie Ferreira and Dr Johan Minnie It is quite the task to condense the two day conference into a review spreading a few pages. The journal will thus be publishing the papers and presentations presented over the next few issues so as to not do injustice to these first-rate submissions. The event also featured a gala dinner in Mossel Bay’s town hall, a panel discussion on building resilient and sustainable African cities and communities and DMISA’s annual general meeting (AGM).

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DMISA Conference 2015 gala evening

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DMISA Conference 2015 gala evening

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DMS Conference 2015

Disaster Management Solutions holds risk conference

The Adjustment Bureau team performed risk reduction messages through acting

uring July 2015, Disaster Management Solutions (DMS) held its risk conference themed ‘Wind, water, fire and earth.’ The conference incorporated performing arts to convey various risk awareness and safety messages. These skit sessions were interspersed during the conference and performed by a wellknown group of South African actors including Darren Kelfkens and the rest

of the team at the Adjustment Bureau. The conference and these performing arts sessions enabled attendees to relate on how to formulate strong messages using not only performing arts but various other media as well in order to achieve the desired outcome. Tiaan Pool of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) George Campus discussed the effect of global warming on

Leighton Bennett and Tinus De Beer 24

Disaster Management

wildfires, providing statistical data indicating changes in fire weather from 1887 to 2012. Alarming statistics included the probable drought and rainfall distribution indicating heavier rain over fewer days resulting in floods. Pool also unpacked the economic impact of wildfires, both direct and indirect and the environmental effect on South Africa’s biomes. Western Cape Government’s deputy director: fire brigade services, Etienne du Toit, spoke about the impact disasters have on people property and the environment, using the March 2015 Cape fires as a case study, adding that these were small in comparison to the fires fought by Eden and Cape Winelands District Municipalities over the same period, both of which were much larger in size and took much longer to extinguish. Du Toit highlighted the issues pertaining to fires on the wildland urban interface and the impact climate change has in the Western Cape, adding that aerial fire fighting should not be seen as a silver bullet but rather an addition to competent grounds crews. Rowland Moss of CREBUS discussed projects for risk reduction and the financing thereof. He detailed funding challenges and requirements, highlighting the importance of the correct approach and getting buy in from all sectors. Volume 1

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Risk Reduction Solutions Skills Development and Capacity Building Consultation and Implementation Support Disaster Risk Management • Institutional Capacity • Risk Assessment • Risk Reduction Plans • Response & Recovery Plans • Information & Communication Systems • Education, Training & Development • Funding

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DMS Conference 2015 University of Stellenbosch’s Trish Zweig looked at communities at risk, discussing the impact people’s livelihood and every day actions have on their risk profile, using several case studies including Langkloof and Philipi where children were asked to take photos of what they say as risk in their communities, which proved very different to the risks we generally would associate communities with.

the structures to manage collaboration and an integrated approach between private sector (business) and disaster risk management to enhance risk reduction, which she presented on behalf of Ken Terry, head of the NDMC. Bruwer highlighted the increasing level of systemic risk and the importance of public private partnerships, detailing the Business Adopt a Municipality (BAAM) project and its benefits to date.

Anè Bruwer of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) discussed

Leandri Kruger of North West University looked at social impact assessments

after which Michelle Grobbelaar of the Council for Geosciences discussed the impact of seismic events on the business sector, people, property and the environment in South Africa, highlighting recent earthquakes and sinkholes. She detailed the hazards of earthquakes and explained what dolomite is and its prevalence in Gauteng. An informal discussion alluding to the looming water crisis followed by the issues surrounding a possible electricity crisis concluded the conference.

Etienne du Toit and Neels Barnard

Tiaan Pool and Michelle Kleynhans

Shaun Minnies and Geoff Laskey

Jacintha Mcleod and Rhode Truter

Thuso Nemugumoni, Betty Kgare, Francis Hoets and Lebogang Mosotho

Tiaan Pool, Ferdi Mocke and Anè Bruwer

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International Day for Disaster Reduction

South Africa commemorates IDDR

outh Africa commemorated International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) on 13 October 2015, at Lukhanji Local Municipality, in the Chris Hani District Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province. Each year, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) identifies a specific theme upon which the IDDR will be commemorated and thus, the 2015 theme was, “Indigenous people and disasters”. The decision to commemorate the event in the Eastern Cape Province was formed by the statistics reflected in the concept document that suggested that the Eastern Cape is one of the provinces with a significant population of indigenous people. Also, the province is reported to have recorded a significant number of disaster losses resulting from floods, drought and windstorms causing social, economic and environmental impacts with the rural and impoverished communities mostly affected. It allowed for an opportunity to, amongst others, celebrate the use of indigenous, traditional and local knowledge in disaster reduction. The commemoration created a platform for political leadership to fulfil one of the ‘Back to Basics’ pillars namely ‘putting people first’, through creating a consultation platform on disaster risk reduction initiatives by government and other key role players. Although the official event was a one day event, the district conducted its own build-up commemorations from the 8 to 9 October 2015. The build-up events

Minister Pravin Gordhan focused on school pupils, who were tasked with investigating the use of indigenous knowledge and communicate such through drama, music, dance, poetry and art drawings. The schools with best disaster risk reduction (DRR) messages won prizes to encourage their role in future DRR. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Pravin Gordhan, witnessed the signing of a disaster risk reduction declaration by the provincial government leaders within the context of the use of indigenous, traditional and local knowledge. The event brought about implementation of two policies namely the provincial declaration and 10-step strategy. The Eastern Cape Declaration constitutes the pledge by democratically elected

Signing of The Eastern Cape Declaration

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leaders of the Eastern Cape Province to work with indigenous people and incorporate indigenous, traditional and local knowledge in all disaster risk reduction initiatives. This will be done by responding to the needs of the province and addressing vulnerabilities, creating platforms that value their inputs and supporting their DDR initiatives. Additionally, highlighting approaches for engaging local communities and indigenous peoples in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 to 2030. During provincial and municipal leadership consultations that preceded the commemoration of IDDR, it emerged that there were backlogs with respect to response and recovery in respect of declared disasters in the district. Minister of CoGTA, Pravin Gordhan committed his department’s officials to further engagements with the province and district officials in an attempt to craft a roadmap towards resolving backlogs in disaster response. He further highlighted the objectives of his flagship project, Back to Basics and emphasised the need to address the needs of communities promptly and effectively by observing and implementing the provincial declaration and 10-step strategy. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs committed to providing directive, advice and support as well as monitoring the implementation of programmes aimed at ensuring the realisation of the signed provincial declaration and 10-step strategy. Disaster Management | 27

International Day for Disaster Reduction

Reference was also made to recent violent outbreaks in Etwatwa and residents of Daveyton were urged to live harmoniously and to steer away from violence, such as xenophobic and gang violence. A gala event followed at the Germiston Banquet Hall and executive mayor of Ekurhuleni, Councillor Mondli Gungubele, Dr Elias Sithole and Vivian Chauke were some of the dignitaries present.

Signing of UNISDR Certificate of Commitment to Disaster Resilience with Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Cllr Mondli Gungubele and MMC Vivian Chauke

he City of Ekurhuleni commemorated International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) 2015 on 7 November 2015 at Etwatwa Sports Fields, Daveyton. This year’s theme focused on ‘Back to Basics’ (B2B), in which emphasis was placed on indigenous knowledge and climate change and its relation to disaster management and risk reduction. Attended by some six thousand people, activities included dramatic acts that involved everything from poetry to traditional Zulu dancers and theatrical presentations demonstrating the causes of shack fires. The residents of Etwatwa received food parcels as part of the IDDR initiative and a mobile clinic was set up to tend to the residents. On display were two fire engines from the City of Ekurhuleni Fire and Rescue Service. Dr Elias Sithole, head of department (HOD) of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and community safety member of the mayoral committee (MMC), Vivian Chauke attended the event. In the absence of Environmental Resource Management (ERM) MMC, the keynote address was presented by Sydney Nkosi, HOD of ERM and focused on current climate conditions and indigenous knowledge as the basis of community coping practices. Although new to climate science, indigenous knowledge has been long recognised as a key source of information and insight in domains such as agroforestry,

Disaster Management

traditional medicine, biodiversity conservation, customary resource management, impact assessment, natural disaster preparedness and response. “Collaboration between indigenous groups and scientists can improve the understanding of climate change and lead to better adaptive strategies,” said Nkosi. He also urged communities to use their existing apolitical social structures such as church meetings, stokvels, women’s groups and youth formations to preserve and refine the indigenous knowledge found within their communities to strengthen climate change adaptation in the context of disaster risk reduction.

Dr Sithole referred to Japan and Haiti and highlighted the vulnerability of disaster affected communities and the need to build resilience within these communities. Sithole concluded by quoting secretarygeneral of United Nations Ban Ki-moon, “Simple community based measures taken today can strengthen resilience, save lives and prevent future poverty and disaster. Some of the world's most impoverished countries are already showing the way.” In his keynote address Councillor Mondli Gungubele said, “A nation of educated, united people will always be more resilient” and added that a nation divided by race is not ready for disaster. He emphasised the need for community education and cooperation. He concluded by saying, “Developing into a nation of hard working people will make us more prepared for disaster.” The event concluded with the official signing of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s (UNISDR) ‘Certificate of Commitment to Disaster Resilience’.

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International Day for Disaster Reduction

Disaster preparedness and disaster management is everybody’s business

outh Africa’s City of Cape Town commemorated International Day for Disaster Reduction on 13 October 2015. This year’s theme ‘Knowledge for Life’ focuses on partnerships between the various spheres of government and indigenous groups to share information on ways to reduce the risk of disasters. The Khoi San, Chobona Tashawe Kingdom and the Bo-Kaap Heritage Society shared some of their stories at the event. “The international community has been reminded that disasters hit hardest at the local level, with the potential to cause loss of life and great social and economic upheaval. Sudden-onset disasters displace millions of people every year. In 2014, 19,3 million people were newly displaced by disasters. Disasters, many of which are exacerbated by climate change, have a negative impact on investment in sustainable development and its desired outcomes,” said Alderman JP Smith, City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, at the event. “We are fortunate that South Africa has not been faced by sudden-onset disasters involving massive war and famine or hurricanes and earthquakes. We have coped as well as possible with the smaller fire and flooding disasters we face annually and we were mercifully spared. I think the public often do not understand or care much about disaster preparedness until it affects them and because disasters are by their very nature quite extreme, most people think of it as someone else’s problem. Most people think it is something that happens to someone else.” He elaborated in saying, “Over the last four years, the UNISDR Step Up campaign has focused on the challenge of including communities in disaster risk management – communities that have built up stores of knowledge on vulnerability and exposure to disasters from their own unique perspectives. Each of these campaigns has been embraced by the City of Cape Town and our Disaster Risk Management Centre. All of these groups have communal experience and wisdom which can strengthen preparedness and response for society as a whole. This year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction concludes the series with a searching look at how communities united by the

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City of Cape Town commemorates International Day for Disaster Reduction common threat of disasters deploy the knowledge and insight born of place, tradition and experience.” “The Disaster Management Act also recognises the critical role that traditional councils can play. One of the functions of traditional councils is to promote indigenous knowledge systems for sustainable development and disaster management. Communities are coming up with innovative ways to solve the problems they are faced with all the time – solutions that work for them and are affordable. It is clear that indigenous knowledge is important and that community members hold a wealth of knowledge and experience that represents a significant resource in the implementation of disaster risk reduction. This is shown in how indigenous knowledge has been used by many communities around the world as a mechanism for surviving natural calamities. There are several stories that have been related after major disasters on how communities have used their indigenous ways to protect their lives and property,” said Alderman Smith. “One such example is how the older people in the community have developed sophisticated knowledge that is used to read and interpret weather patterns. This is done through observing seasonal patterns and changes, the lunar cycle and the stars. Many traditions, practices and customs which are important to environmental protection and managing disaster risk are embedded in those

languages which are threatened with extinction. In both rural and urban settings, indigenous groups have unique vulnerabilities and needs in disaster risk reduction and in post-disaster recovery. At the same time, indigenous groups have unique capacity and knowledge. This institutional knowledge in communities, combined with scientific meteorological knowledge, allows us to best predict disasters and prepare for them.” “Despite the fact that the importance of the knowledge systems held within communities has now been recognised by international organisations, the role of such knowledge in disaster risk reduction has, to date, not received the much-needed attention it deserves in South Africa. Little is known about how South Africa‘s traditional communities have used their accumulated knowledge to prevent and cope with disasters.” Alderman Smith continued, “This campaign has recommended various strategies that should be developed and implemented to improve the role of communities in disaster risk reduction, bringing with them the knowledge and experience they hold. More research should be conducted to collect such learning, as it relates to disaster risk reduction from all communities that depend on this very important resource.” He concluded by saying, “Indigenous knowledge can add value and plays a crucial role in disaster risk reduction.” Disaster Management | 29

International Day for Disaster Reduction

Mayor Conrad Sidego also supported the project

Stellenbosch Municipality

hosts awareness campaign in celebration of IDDR By Wayne Smith, Chief: Fire and Rescue Services and Disaster Management

s part of the build up to the International Day for Disaster Reduction Stellenbosch Municipality hosted an awareness campaign in Franschhoek on Friday, 9 October 2015. With the theme for the year being ‘Knowledge for Life’, the Stellenbosch Municipality’s Disaster Management and Fire Services component not only strive to safeguard the environment but transfer knowledge and empower communities through various initiatives, exhibitions and school outreach projects.

Disaster risk reduction encompasses the concepts of prevention, mitigation and preparedness, which are viewed as developmental activities minimising the likelihood of disastrous occurrences by reducing the vulnerability of those at risk. To give expression to one of the strategic objectives of endeavouring to create the safest valley, Stellenbosch Fire and Disaster Management grasp the opportunity with the objective to raise awareness, introduce methods in reducing risks and engage with

the locals ie the use of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge. The clear advantages of the day included: • Approximately 500 children reached • The enthusiasm and energy the attendees showed • The ability of children to learn through play, sing and dramatisation • To involve school-going youth in disseminating disaster risk related messages • To empower the youth • To stimulate interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral partnerships • Promote active dialogue and exchange between schools, local leaders, officials and other emergency service providers Supporting and participating in the programme were Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Centre, Cape Winelands District Municipality, Impact Through Sport, Working on Fire, Volunteer Wildfire Services, Drakenstein Correctional Services, Stellenbosch Municipal Services and the Children’s Theatre. Mayor Conrad Sidego also supported the project. “You educate a child, the entire community is empowered”… was clearly portrayed by the officials present.

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Stellenbosch Municipality trust that the youth of Franschhoek was able to SEE, LEARN and DREAM! Volume 1

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Events

SAESI Conference 2015

he South African Emergency Services Institute (SAESI) Conference took place at Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, from 1 to 6 November 2015. The core focus of the conference surrounded the theme of ‘Building Resilient Communities’. The conference brought together national, provincial and local government officials as well as international, regional and civilian society organisations, including the private sector, all in an attempt to start the process of building resilience within communities and in doing so it consequently aids in disaster prevention and management within these respective communities. Dr Elias Sithole, head of Gauteng’s provincial disaster management centre was the conference chair of the 30th biennial SAESI Conference. Keynote addresses Keynote addresses were made by speakers such as Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers. Sooliman’s keynote address focused on the multiple facets of disaster response wherein logistics, negotiation, access and distribution are key aspects for effective disaster management. Stuart Ellis, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council focused on the disaster management strategies employed by Australia’s disaster management policies and the

relevance thereof to promote effective incident management procedures in South Africa. South Africa’s Head of the National Disaster Management Centre, Ken Terry spoke on behalf of Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Pravin Gordhan. Terry discussed critical matters concerning fire services, communities most effective by fires and the principles of Back to Basics (BtB) to combat the above issues. He encouraged chief fire officers (CFOs) for educational and physical compliance of fire fighters and emphasised the importance of prioritising all related aspects with respects to building resilient communities. He concluded by saying that Minister Pravin Gordhan was in the process of submitting his own proposals with regards to the fire and rescue industry. In addition, Bill Cox, past president of the International Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE) and Chief Larry Few who represented the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs of the United States were among the international speakers in attendance. Keynote topics Risk management, education, security and resilience were the key topics discussed and were presented as the three basic pillars in building resilient communities. Schalk Willem Lubbe, fire engineering specialist was the topic speaker on

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risk management, which focused on the empowerment of vulnerable communities by identifying the hazards that affect them in their respective communities and understanding how to assist these communities accordingly. In principle, Lubbe highlighted the importance of a national plan supported by partnerships, which is analysed and structured towards a collective goal, namely effective risk management. Moshema Mosia, head of disaster and emergency management services at Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) focused on the importance of national and international standards and its role in facilitating security and resilience within communities. Paul Motsepe, public information, education and relations (PIER) officer addressed the issue of education, in which he highlighted PIER, its operations, principles and values and the significance of educating communities. Senior manager of fire services coordination, Moses Khangale discussed matters pertaining to dispensation and funding of fire services. Additionally, there were breakaway sessions, in which each of the keynote topics were discussed in further detail. The SAESI conference facilitated active discussions between respective emergencies service personnel, delegates and officials to advance rallying together in building resilient communities.

Keynote speakers and delegates in attendance at SAESI Conference 2015 Disaster Management | 31

Upcoming events

Upcoming Events 26 - 28 January 2016 Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) First Response CBRN First Response provides the international CBRN community with the unique opportunity to gain a clear understanding of future requirements and capabilities needed for a multi-agency approach to a CBRN emergency Venue: Bristol, UK For more information visit: www.cbrn-firstresponse.com/index.php 27 - 29 January 2016 UNISDR Science and Technology Conference The conference aims to bring together the full diversity of the science and technology community, policy makers, practitioners and researchers from all geographical regions at local, national, regional and international levels to discuss how the science and technology community will best support the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Venue: Geneva, Switzerland For more information visit: www.unisdr.org/partners/academia-research/conference/2016/ 27 - 29 January 2016 2016 FLASH Annual Conference: The Next Generation of Resilience The conference will bring together the USA's foremost voices in the disaster safety and resilience movement to share best practices, inspire, collaborate and create meaningful action. Venue: Orlando, USA For more information visit: www.flash.org/2016meeting/index.php 15 - 16 Feb 2016 7th International Conference on Integrated Natural Disaster Management The conference will cover a broad range of topics, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, from the need for an improved understanding of disaster risk in all its dimensions of exposure, vulnerability and hazard characteristics to the strengthening of disaster risk governance, avoidance of creation of new risks, climate change adaptation, GEOinformation, disaster medicine and socio-economic vulnerability. Venue: Tehran, Iran For more information visit: www.unisdr.org/we/inform/events/45382

27 - 28 March 2016 High Level Ministerial Meeting on of the Implementation Sendai Framework 2015-2030 The agreements and recommendations arising from this meeting will serve as the basis for further discussion and analysis with a broader group of partners in the framework of the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2016. Venue: Asuncion, Paraguay For more information visit: www.unisdr.org/we/inform/events/46626 5 - 6 April 2016 Emergency Expo 2016 Emergency expo offers a new and multidisciplinary platform for all parties involved in disaster management, risk management and crisis management. Venue: Rotterdam, Netherlands For more information visit: www.emergencyexpo.nl/ 11 - 15 April 2016 5th Fire Behaviour and Fuels Conference: Wicked Problem, New Solutions - Our Fire, Our Problem This conference will provide government and nongovernment professionals at all levels a valuable opportunity to share information globally about wildland fire behaviour and fuels, especially as it pertains to physical, biological, economic and social sciences. Venue: Portland, Oregon, USA For more information visit: http://portland. firebehaviorandfuelsconference.com/ 12 - 15 April 2016 5th Fire Behaviour and Fuels Conference: Wicked Problem, New Solutions - Our Fire, Our Problem The 5th Fire Behaviour and Fuels conference will be in both Melbourne, Australia and Portland, Oregon. There will be a separate programme for each venue but some sessions will overlap, providing the opportunity for some live presentations across both venues. Venue: Melbourne, Australia For more information visit: http://melbourne. firebehaviorandfuelsconference.com/

2 - 3 March 2016 Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience Europe 2016 The ever changing nature of threats, whether natural through climate change, or man-made through terrorism activities, either physical or cyber attacks, means the need to continually review and update policies, practices and technologies to meet these demands. Venue: The Hague, Netherlands For more information visit: www.cipre-expo.com/

2 - 6 May 2016 FIG Working Week 2016: Recovery from Disaster The FIG Working Week 2016 will appeal not only to the wider surveying profession as represented by the ten FIG Commissions but also the broader spatial sciences industry including cartographers, remote sensing and photogrammetric professionals, those involved with GIS systems and location based services. Instrument manufacturers, including GNSS and software application specialists will also benefit from being involved with this major international event. Venue: Christchurch, New Zealand For more information visit: www.fig.net/fig2016/index.htm

16 - 18 March 2016 Disaster Relief Asia With more natural disasters occurring in Asia there is now a greater need for governments and international agencies to put in place the appropriate warning systems and response procedures to deal with the different disasters that take place in the region. Venue: Bangkok, Thailand For more information visit: www.intelligence-sec.com/events/ disaster-relief-asia

10 - 13 May 2016 Adaptation futures 2016: 4th International climate change adaptation conference The conference highlights adaptation practices and solutions for people, governments and businesses. The programme will address all sectors and all parts of the world, with a special focus on urban and coastal areas. Venue: Rotterdam, Netherlands For more information visit: www.adaptationfutures2016.org

Disaster Management

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The Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA)

DMISA office Contact details Tel: 011 822 1634

Fax: 011 822 3563

Email address disaster@disaster.co.za Postal address PO Box 7130 Primrose Hill 1417 Physical address Suite 5 123 Rietfontein Road Primrose Germiston, Gauteng South Africa Office hours 08h00 to 13h00 Website http: www.disaster.co.za Institute administrator Karin Muller Email: karin@disaster.co.za

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