Pretoria - South Africa has made headway in honouring its commitments to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, says the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).
COGTA Minister Des van Rooyen recently joined United Nations (UN) representative and delegates from other countries at an international gathering on reducing disaster risk and building the resilience of communities and nations.
The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction is the main forum at the global level for strategic advice, coordination, partnership development and the review of progress in the implementation of international instruments on disaster risk reduction.
It is a biennial forum for information exchange, discussion of the latest developments, knowledge and partnership-building across sectors, with the goal of improving the implementation of disaster risk reduction through better communication and coordination amongst stakeholders.
South Africa, like many other developing countries, faces increasing levels of disaster risk, as it is exposed to a wide range of environmental and climate hazards, especially drought, veld fires, floods and severe thunderstorms that often trigger widespread hardship and devastation.
“We are currently battling against the effects of the worst drought since 1926,” said the Ministry.
Minister Van Rooyen delivered a statement at the forum, saying South Africa is committed to reducing disaster risks to pave the way for strengthened resilience to disasters and for the overall achievement of service delivery and sustainable development goals.
The Minister said South Africa’s efforts in responding to emergencies and disasters are aimed at building prompt and well-coordinated responses geared to saving lives and restoring the dignity of affected communities. - SAnews.gov.za
