By Mustapha Sesay
Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President says Sierra Leone is ranked 3rd amongst countries that are “extremely at risk” in the area of climate change.
Harriette Turay said this was according to the 2014 climate change vulnerability report of ‘Maplecroft’.
Speaking yesterday at the opening of a two-day workshop on the validation of a draft National Disaster Risk Management Policy organised by UNDP, she said “we have been largely ill-prepared to address disaster issues as a country”, noting that little had been achieved to address the issue because “political commitments for the establishment of a strong institutional framework have always been a priority of the government”.
UNDP’s deputy country director, Mohamed Abchir, explained that low-income countries were more vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters because poverty and lack of resources decreased social resilience by weakening the coping strategies, and caused delays in recovery processes.
He said the disaster management policy was drafted in 2006 but was never ratified by parliament, adding that new data and information had emerged as well as severity and frequency of disaster which he said had socio-economic impact on vulnerable communities.
Abchir went on that there was a clear need for an update of the policy document which would provide the general framework under which disaster risk management’s key players could work to build resilience of communities.
Member of Parliament and deputy chairman of the parliamentary oversight committee on defence and security, Foday Rado Yokie, said the government was prepared to make laws that would support the cause of natural disaster management, adding that there was need for viable disaster management institution in the country.
(C) Politico 17/04/14
