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Donation Total: $100

mitigation & preparedness

Disaster Management

Disasters, whether they are natural or man-made, have significant and wide-ranging consequences for human life, the environment, and socio-economic development. They often lead to a high number of fatalities, severe injuries, food shortages, and can even serve as breeding grounds for epidemics. Recognizing the potential effects of disasters is essential for determining the appropriate course of action to mitigate their impact. This is where the Disaster Management Department within the Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) plays a crucial role.

The ZRCS Disaster Management Department is responsible for strategic planning, coordination, and implementation of disaster management strategies. Its overarching goal is to minimize the adverse impact of disasters on human life, infrastructure, property, and the environment. The department focuses on key areas such as Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation, Food Security and Livelihoods, and Population Movement. The department operates through four phases of disaster management: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. Each phase encompasses various thematic areas of the department’s work. These thematic areas include:

Mitigation & Preparedness

          To effectively prepare for disasters, the department has undertaken several proactive measures, including:

  • Development of Advanced Tools and Systems: Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) with support of Netherlands Red Cross, 510 and Climate Center has developed advanced tools and systems to help it better predict and respond to floods. These tools include the Impact Based Forecasting (IBF) system, which works with the Global Flood Awareness System (GLOFAS). GLOFAS provides valuable information on river water levels, while the IBF system determines the potential affected population and timing of floods. This enables the timely issuance of warnings to at-risk communities. In recent years, the ZRCS has used the IBF system to successfully warn communities in Kitwe, Kafue, and Namwala of impending floods. These early warnings have helped to save lives and property. ZRCS is committed to using advanced tools and systems to improve its disaster preparedness and response. This system will help ZRCS to better protect communities from the effects of floods and other disasters. 

  • Creation of Early Action Protocol (EAP): This protocol serves as a resource mobilization tool within movement partners, facilitating the acquisition of funds for preparedness activities. These activities include the dissemination of early warning messages and distribution of non-food items in flood-prone areas identified by the IBF system. The department has continued to develop Early Action Protocol for flood and drought.

  • Implementation of innovative response mechanisms: Over the past three years, the department has successfully executed cash preparedness activities. These activities have enabled the NS to provide cash assistance to more than 15,000 vulnerable families affected since 2020.

  • Volunteer training: Recognizing the vital role of volunteers during disaster response, the department has conducted comprehensive training programs for over 80 staff and volunteers. These individuals form the National Disaster Response Team and possess the necessary skills to support response efforts. They are trained in various areas, including disaster response, cash and voucher assistance, and data literacy.

  • Support to government disaster management structures: The department actively supports national, provincial, district, and community-level government disaster management structures. This support encompasses activities such as; formation and training of Satellite Disaster Management Committees (SDMC’s), orientation of Provincial Disaster Management Committees (PDMC’s), assisting in emergency needs assessment, supporting coordination meetings, and establishing and supporting the Forecast Based Finance (FBF) Technical Working Group at the national level.

  • Population Movement: The department helps refugees to find and reconnect with their loved ones who have been separated from them as a result of conflict, violence, or disaster. ZRCS does this in a number of ways such as through the use of tracing services. Tracing services help to locate missing family members by using a variety of methods, such as interviewing refugees, searching databases, and contacting government agencies. ZRCS also uses various communication services to restore family links. Communication services can help refugees to stay in touch with their loved ones by providing them with access to telephones, email, and other forms of communication.

  • Prepositioning of Non-Food Items: Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) has prepositioned Non-Food Items (NFI’s) in warehouses that are located in strategic locations across the country. This ensures that the NFIs are close to the areas where they are most likely to be needed. The NFIs are also regularly checked to ensure that they are in good condition and that they are sufficient to meet the needs of people affected by disasters. The NFIs are located in Eastern Province, Lusaka Province, Copperbelt Province, and Northwestern Province. The NFIs include tarpaulins, blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, water storage containers, multi-purpose soap, chlorine, and hand wash stations. These items are essential for providing basic necessities to people affected by disasters. The prepositioning of NFIs is part of the ZRCS’s disaster preparedness and response plan. The plan is designed to ensure that the ZRCS is ready to respond to any disaster, regardless of its size or location. The ZRCS has a team of trained staff and volunteers who are responsible for the distribution of NFIs. These staff and volunteers are trained in how to identify the needs of people affected by disasters and how to distribute NFIs in a way that is fair and equitable guided by the Sphere Standards. By prepositioning NFIs, ZRCS is able to respond more quickly and effectively to disasters, helping to save lives and reduce suffering.
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