Disaster risk reduction key to mitigating economic losses

12 March 2019

Cape Town has been lauded in recent months for its efforts to mitigate the risks that came with an unprecedented drought. The work that was done by our Disaster Risk Management Centre in collaboration with other local and international partners was simply phenomenal, because the drought posed a genuine threat to the social and economic welfare of the city.

It was business unusual and, quite frankly, terrifying. Our tourism industry was staring down the barrel; businesses that were water-reliant were teetering on the brink; and many had to find alternative ways of operating – at great cost – or close their doors. The healthcare and social development sectors were forced to think of different ways to deliver basic services in the face of the water shortage.

As a local administration, we were doing dry runs for the day that the taps would have to close and the sheer logistics that went into the exercise, along with the projected cost, was mind-boggling.

But we turned a corner. Residents, visitors, the public and private sectors, all pulled in the same direction and we managed to reduce water consumption by record levels. In fact, Cape Town is now a case study for other water-scarce regions. We are sharing our successes, but also the lessons learnt, with others true to the spirit of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The framework, which is endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly, aims to reduce the number of people affected by disasters; to reduce the damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services as well as the economic losses that stem from disasters. It further aims to increase the number of countries with disaster risk reduction strategies, to strengthen cooperation between nations for the benefit of developing countries and increase availability of, and access to, multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments – all by 2030.

One of the key goals of this symposium is to raise awareness of the Sendai Framework and how together we can achieve the targets that have been set.

In the minds of many people, disaster risk reduction is the job of government. But it actually requires a whole of society approach and each of us should take responsibility for mitigating the risks that face us in our personal lives on a daily basis. Losing one’s home in a fire can be emotionally and physically devastating, but also financially draining. So the question then is: How do you build resilience in the event of a disaster?

The question applies whether it is your home, family, business or a city or country.

And that is why we are here today - to provide a platform for a myriad of agencies in the public and private sector, to highlight the economic consequences of failure to manage disaster risk, particularly for vulnerable groups in low- and middle-income countries – like South Africa.

It is important to note that:

- Disasters are gateways to poverty and distress for many vulnerable people living in a country such as ours

- Countries with the greatest need to invest in social development are those most challenged by disaster risk

- Integrating disaster risk reduction into investment decisions is the most cost-effective way to reduce risk

- Investment in disaster risk reduction generally represents a large saving in terms of avoided losses and reconstruction costs

For Cape Town, the drought has been a catalyst for investing in resilience. What are we doing in other parts of the country facing similar challenges?

My hope for this symposium is that we leave with a greater focus on risk -informed investment in agriculture, housing stock, critical infrastructure, and the protection of cultural heritage; that there will be a greater focus on protecting livelihoods, housing and places of work in hazard-prone areas; and that we elevate the public discourse to promote attitudinal and behavioural change towards disaster risk management.

Issued by Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, City of Cape Town, 12 March 2019