Pretoria – South Africa on Tuesday joined the global community in marking International Day for Disaster Reduction.
An event was organised in the Bojanala Platinum District in the North West, where the focus was on including older persons in reducing communities’ vulnerability to disasters.
The day was used to highlight the role played by communities in reducing their risk to disasters.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance, Andries Nel, said municipalities can play their part in making sure that South Africa stands ready to respond to disasters.
“… Making sure that street lights are operational, storm water drainage pipes are in good condition and approved building constructions follow the stipulated standards is one of the ways that municipalities can deal with disaster risk effectively,” said Deputy Minister Nel.
This year’s focus on older people highlights the need for a more inclusive approach for older people in disaster risk reduction.
It recognizes the critical role they can play in better planning and understanding disaster risk, and how they can help with resilience-building in their communities through their experience and knowledge.
The North West province, led by Premier Supra Mahumapelo, said it will ensure that older persons' capabilities are not overlooked due to their physical limitations. Instead, older persons will be involved and encouraged to participate in community decision making.
According to the recent census, 41% of South Africa’s population constitutes older persons. – SAnews.gov.za
