23 Dec 2024

Members of the Disaster Management Response Team have been implored to strengthen their readiness to ensure prompt response to emergencies that may occur.

The call was made by the North West District Commissioner, Mr Thabang Waloka during a meeting recently underscoring the need for adequate planning to minimise risk and ensure all that was required was ready to respond to any form of disaster to save lives. While he appreciated early warnings by the Department of Meteorological Services that the district would experience normal to above normal rainfall, he said early preparedness was vital for any disaster.

“We know all the types of disasters prone to our region and as a team, we should position ourselves to manage emergencies in real time,” he added.

The region is prone to disasters such as floods, fire, drought, torrential rains and winds, among others, and Mr Waloka called for an effective and operational management system for the region and ensure prompt response.

In case of crisis, he said, the surveillance search, rescue and assessment teams should come on board and do some roundups, assess and build a shared picture of where the most severe impacts were, how many people were affected and how many were in critical need.

Furthermore, he said the logistics team should know how many people needed tents, food or any assistance to save lives while on their other hand, the publicity team should relay information to the community to expect what kind of disaster emergencies.

In case of floods, he said, the team should make early warning systems alerting the affected communities to relocate if need be. However, the Principal Meteorology Officer, Ms Alice Oabile, also urged members of the team to get ready, saying more rainfall was expected in the region.

When sharing the country’s climate outlook for the 2024/2025 rainfall season, she pointed out that largely normal to above normal precipitation for months of January, February and March as well as April.

Furthermore, she said above normal temperatures were expected over the entire country and that weak La Nina was favoured throughout January, February and March.

“On the overall, an improved season than the previous one is anticipated,” added Ms Oabile.

Members were also informed that the Department of Meteorological Services did not expect any direct impact of the cyclone in the country.  Ends