Accurate weather information, key to reduce disasters

Executive director of the Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) Dr Tim Ndezi made the remarks in Dar es Salaam recently during the stakeholders, residents and leaders’ workshops as part of the implementation of the second phase of the Daraja Project which aimed to strengthen weather education and awareness among residents in Mnyamani and Kipawa wards in Ilala District.

The project is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with its execution expected to go until the end of this year.

Dr Ndezi said that vulnerability to extreme weather and climate impacts was rapidly growing in informal settlements where the majority of the residents lack basic infrastructures and services including drainage.

He said through the implementation of Daraja project, residents in Mji Mpya and Karakata streets in Mnyamani and Kipawa wards respectively have been educated and increased their capacity to take mitigating or adaptive measures to reduce the impacts of severe weather conditions on life and property.

In particular, the project aims at improving accessibility, understanding and mobilisation on the importance and use of weather and climate information, enabling them to take measures to reduce impacts of weather events including floods, extreme heat and others.

He said the provision of timely and precise weather information could reduce the vulnerability of people to climate change risks.

The DG commended the government for increasing efforts by putting budgets to support improvement of weather information dissemination, cleaning of drainage, construction of roads and bridges as well as cleaning to rivers so as to reduce impacts of the weather impacts.

CCI programme officer, Prudensiana Luckago said: “Our aim is to increase understanding of weather issues and information among the public and ensure that the residents effectively use information on weather forecasts to mitigate climate change related disasters.”

She noted the increased capacity of residents in the informal settlements to take mitigating or adaptive measures to reduce the impact of severe weather conditions on life and property by the provision of enhanced weather and climate information pilots.

A survey conducted by CCI recently showed that if well informed with weather updates and how to mitigate climate change impacts, residents in flood prone areas can make prior good decisions to make them and their areas safe throughout the year.

Prudensiana said the survey showed that over 80 percent of residents in Mji Mpya and Karakata are affected by floods with many of them losing between 150,000/- to 300,000/- to the extreme weather impacts.

However, due to implementation of various initiatives including the DARAJA project, the residents have wider understanding of the challenges and are able to take precautions prior to the occurrence of the disasters such as floods and extreme heat.

The residents in collaboration with local authorities have been taking various measures taken before the severe weather events which include repairing their houses, cleaning drainage, storing properties in safe places, deciding what to wear as well as relocating, she explained.

“These measures have been facilitating 51 percent of the residents to save up to 100,000/- which could be lost due to the weather impacts with some others saving up to 200,000/-,” she added.

Mathayo Nyauleni, member of disaster committee at Karaka- ta Street said the locals have been most of the time using affordable and locally avail- able materials as a measure to control floods along this river. “We have been struggling ourselves to reduce impacts of floods by conducting cleanliness, controlling wastes as well as putting sand sacks along the river,” he said.

He also noted that town planners and government officials have been promising to address the issue and their strategies have also shown the need for more investment to address the problem.

Hamis Amani from Mji Mpya urged authorities to control vegetable farming along Msimbazi River as this was affecting the river and thus increasing flood risks.

“I have every year been spending my money to fill in sand in packs and place them on the river banks to prevent water from coming into my house, life is not that easy because during heavy rains, many people lose their precious properties, but with this education I am sure that it will make me help others to overcome the disasters,” he explained.

Halima Kidimo also from Mji Mpya said: “At our area, we have developed a culture of meeting every Saturday to discuss various issues including environment cleanliness and sanitation, this includes conducting deep cleanliness in our surroundings and houses as in canals,” she said.

Khamis Matulanga, an economist from Ilala municipal council in Dar es Salaam commended CCI for executing the project saying that the initiative complements the government’s efforts to address various climate impacts which include investing in weather dissemination, sanitation and environmental; protection projects.

“In the last financial year, our environmental budget was 600m/- which also involved improvement of roads and drainage and in this fiscal year, the budget may be higher,” he said.

Upendo Ngailo, community development officer in Mnyamani ward said they have been working hard to educate the public on environmental cleanliness as well as adhering to proper construction of houses which include denying to issue building permits to the flood-prone areas.

Kinondoni district disaster management coordinator, Bakari Mlanzi, said that the municipality has been also taking various measures to ensure that people live in peace even during disasters.

He said that the district has been setting a budget every year and in this fiscal year, many challenges such as drainage and cleanliness of canals will be addressed.

He acknowledged that with improved warning systems, it is possible to reduce the extent of damage by improving the resilience of at-risk populations and reinforcing the preparedness of the population to cope with extreme events.