Adequate preps in place for rain disasters

Africa Moyo in SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt

Adequate funds to deal with disasters such as flash flooding that are associated with the rainy season have been set aside, but local authorities must clear storm drains to minimise flooding in urban areas, Department of Civil Protection Unit chief director Mr Nathan Nkomo has said.

In an interview at the Zimbabwe Pavillion at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt, Mr Nkomo said a plan was in place to ensure everyone’s safety during this rainy season.

Funds and continency funding are set aside by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, and in an emergency more can be mobilised.

“For Zimbabwe, like any other country in the SADC region, in Africa and in the whole world, this is the time when we always prepare for the rainfall season,” said Mr Nkomo.

“The rainfall season comes with a lot of challenges, but more importantly, it also comes with a lot of hope because most of our agriculture is rain-fed so we welcome the rainfall season in Zimbabwe.

“However, in terms of preparedness, we have done our level best. Remember we are preparing to handle natural hazards in the form of flash floods and ultimately, when we get into the cyclone season, mostly from January to March, we will escalate our level of preparedness.”

Mr Nkomo said at the moment, Zimbabwe has “done what we can”, in terms of coming up with a multi-hazard contingency plan that is guided by the Meteorological Services Department, which is the country’s early warning unit in terms of hydro meteorological hazards.

His remarks follow the heavy flash flooding that hit some parts of Harare, especially Dzivaresekwa, where some roads were difficult to navigate yesterday morning, largely because the drainage was inadequate or blocked.

While the Harare City Council is supposed to ensure drains are adequate and working, residents are also expected to clear gutters outside their houses and keep them clear.

Heavy rains continued until mid-morning and there are fears that some houses could be uninhabitable if the rains persist with the same ferocity.

Last week, 78 families were left homeless after their houses were damaged and flooded by heavy rains in Kadoma.

Five schools, including Jameson High School, and some shops were also affected by flash flooding.

In October, Beitbridge’s Dulivhadzimu suburb was affected by flash flooding.

Bulawayo’s Pumula North and South, Nketa, Cowdray Park, Emganwini and Nkulumane suburbs, together with Gweru’s Ascot, are prone to flash flooding, and residents have previously been badly affected.

But Mr Nkomo said funds had been set aside to deal with disasters that will occur until the end of the rainy season in March.

“Funding will never be adequate, but I think Treasury has set aside some funding enough to see us through the current season; that is the October, November, December (season),” he said.

“And whenever a need arises, Government will never renege on its responsibility; they will always avail the required resources.”

The Government was “fully aware”, of the magnitude of rains expected this season.

“If you look at the forecast given to us by the Met Department, even at The Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum, which is at regional level, it pointed to a season where we are likely to receive normal to above normal rainfall and that season is what we have prepared for,” said Mr Nkomo.

“What is happening is not something surprising because this season is characterised by La Nina, normally associated with heavy downpours and we expected what is happening in some of the areas like Buhera, Mbire, and our urban areas.”

In terms of flash flooding in urban areas, Mr Nkomo said there were various factors at play, including the design of some of the areas, which did not budget for “this demon of climate change”.

He said the type of infrastructure in some of the areas, especially Dzivaresekwa, needed to be revisited to take care of heavy downpours.

Local authorities, said Mr Nkomo, should also clear storm drains and collect garbage, which normally clogs some of the storm drains, to avoid unnecessary flooding in urban areas.

Urban councils, which have been run by the opposition CCC and the MDC since 2000, are a mess as the officials have focused on looting resources since they came in.

Harare City Council is the worst affected, with some corrupt council officials having allocated residential stands to their friends and relatives in wetlands, and these may now need to be evacuated.

President Mnangagwa has since urged citizens to vote out incompetent councillors who have decimated cities and towns, in favour of those that are determined to revive the lost glamour.

He said the Zanu PF he leads was determined to catapult towns and cities to new levels of development in line with Vision 2030 of an empowered upper middle-income society.

Presently, the Zanu PF-led Government is reconstructing roads and investing in water and sewer treatment in towns to arrest the rot they were plunged into by successive opposition councils.