Aid agency says disaster prevention ‘better than cure’

-08/12/05

Disaster prevention


Aid agency says disaster prevention ‘better than cure’

-08/12/05

Disaster prevention must become part of emergency work if the world is not to see a repetition of the death and destruction caused in 2005 by a litany of disasters: a tsunami, floods, hurricanes, mudslides, earthquakes and severe food shortages, Christian Aid has said.

In a report released today (Thursday), ëDonít be scared, be preparedí, the aid agency calls for disaster risk reduction to be part of all future emergency and development programmes.

It stresses that the involvement and training of local communities is crucial.

Christian Aid welcomes the multi-million, hi-tech tsunami warning system planned for the Indian Ocean, but says it will be a failure if it is not coupled with training at a local level throughout the region.

“We have seen what the tsunami did to coastal communities,” says Anjali Kwatra, Christian Aidís Asia specialist. “Unless these communities have disaster management plans and are given effective awareness training, the news of an imminent disaster will not filter down to the local level where it is most needed.”

The aid agency has incorporated disaster reduction in all its work in the tsunami-affected communities in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Disaster-resistant homes are being built, children are being taught to swim and programmes in evacuation training, first aid and search and rescue are being set up.

Disaster reduction not only saves lives, it is also cost effective. The agency calculates that just £1 spent on disaster risk reduction could have saved a child from being buried alive in the Kashmir earthquake. For an extra £500 a school on the Indian subcontinent can be built to withstand earthquakes. In one case among many thousand, some 500 children are believed to have been crushed to death in Kashmir when their school collapsed.

“Community based, low-tech methods have been proved to work,” says Anjali Kwatra. “In Bangladesh, Christian Aid partner organisations built cyclone shelters after the 1991 cyclone killed some 140,000 people. Six years later there was an even more lethal cyclone but only 100 people died because they knew how to take refuge.”

Christian Aid has an exhibition of art and images to mark the one-year anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami. Entitled íevery time I see the seaÖlife after the tsunamií, it goes beyond the who, where and when of the disaster to explore the experiences of the survivors in art, photography and personal testimonies.

A gallery of photographs from ëevery time I see the seaÖ.life after the tsunamií can be viewed online here

The report ëDonít be scared, be preparedí can be viewed here


Aid agency says disaster prevention ‘better than cure’

-08/12/05

Disaster prevention must become part of emergency work if the world is not to see a repetition of the death and destruction caused in 2005 by a litany of disasters: a tsunami, floods, hurricanes, mudslides, earthquakes and severe food shortages, Christian Aid has said.

In a report released today (Thursday), ëDon’t be scared, be prepared’, the aid agency calls for disaster risk reduction to be part of all future emergency and development programmes.

It stresses that the involvement and training of local communities is crucial.

Christian Aid welcomes the multi-million, hi-tech tsunami warning system planned for the Indian Ocean, but says it will be a failure if it is not coupled with training at a local level throughout the region.

“We have seen what the tsunami did to coastal communities,” says Anjali Kwatra, Christian Aid’s Asia specialist. “Unless these communities have disaster management plans and are given effective awareness training, the news of an imminent disaster will not filter down to the local level where it is most needed.”

The aid agency has incorporated disaster reduction in all its work in the tsunami-affected communities in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Disaster-resistant homes are being built, children are being taught to swim and programmes in evacuation training, first aid and search and rescue are being set up.

Disaster reduction not only saves lives, it is also cost effective. The agency calculates that just £1 spent on disaster risk reduction could have saved a child from being buried alive in the Kashmir earthquake. For an extra £500 a school on the Indian subcontinent can be built to withstand earthquakes. In one case among many thousand, some 500 children are believed to have been crushed to death in Kashmir when their school collapsed.

“Community based, low-tech methods have been proved to work,” says Anjali Kwatra. “In Bangladesh, Christian Aid partner organisations built cyclone shelters after the 1991 cyclone killed some 140,000 people. Six years later there was an even more lethal cyclone but only 100 people died because they knew how to take refuge.”

Christian Aid has an exhibition of art and images to mark the one-year anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami. Entitled ‘every time I see the seaÖlife after the tsunami’, it goes beyond the who, where and when of the disaster to explore the experiences of the survivors in art, photography and personal testimonies.

A gallery of photographs from ëevery time I see the seaÖ.life after the tsunami’ can be viewed online here

The report ëDon’t be scared, be prepared’ can be viewed here