Disaster Management /Capacity Strengthening

‘Natural Disasters will hit us by the time people have forgotten about it’. By Dr. Torahiko Terada (1878-1935) Issues of disaster continue to be on the ‘front burner’ across the world, as stakeholders strive to find lasting solutions to mitigate their negative impacts. In a bid to find solutions to these Challenges, the Presbyterian Relief Services and Development, believes that disaster related issues require urgent action, thus bringing together experts in the field in an organized forum to educate and sensitize the general populace through media broadcast of activities. Secondly, through capacity development in disaster risk prone communities. Disasters indeed generate significant burden on society and may hinder progress in affected countries especially like ours with disaster response incapacities. Besides seriously disrupting functioning of life/livelihoods and economic activities etc. the risks are quite high. Some of the disasters we encounter may be as a result of wilful neglect of available early signs of approaching danger and, or due to our struggles with mindset change in coming to terms with realities about consequences of our own misdeeds in environmental abuse i.e. Building in waterways, throwing garbage into beautifully constructed drains, indiscriminate bush burning and destruction of the ecosystem.