In to ensure a safe and disaster-free environment for all residents, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has assured residents that it will not relent in its efforts at risk prevention and mitigation.
This was made known in a statement issued by the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to commemorate the 2020 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDR), stressed that risk reduction has been at the centre of the FCT’s disaster management’s strategy.
Director General of FEMA, Abbas Idriss, disclosed that FEMA’s resource allocation has always been in favour of risk prevention and mitigation rather than relief and rehabilitation.
Idriss added that the agency has involved itself in conflict management in FCT communities including mediation between cattle herders and Farmers.
He, however, explained that this year’s theme, “Disaster Risk Governance,” according to the United Nations, ‘is about conveying the message that many disasters can be avoided or prevented if there are disaster risk reduction strategies in place to manage and reduce existing levels of risk and to avoid the creation of new risk, which amounts to good disaster risk governance.
According to the statement; “The Agency, is proud to state that from its inception in June 2013, it has been operating on a risk prevention strategy that is driven by synergy with various stakeholders.
“This synergy is derived from a document produced by FEMA and its Stakeholders under the auspices of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in August 2013- the FCT Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP), which is reviewed annually to meet the challenges of current and emerging disasters in the Federal Capital Territory.”
The FEMA boss added that as part of its Disaster Risk Reduction strategy, the Agency has created a high level of awareness amongst the FCT residents on a number of emergency management issues, especially the need to avoid acts that increase the people’s vulnerability to disaster risk.
He said the administration has also created strong synergies amongst Stakeholders and Agencies involved in emergency prevention, mitigation and response activities in the FCT.
Already, he said the FCTA has established Volunteer/Disaster Vanguard at Schools and communities where 200 volunteers have been registered and 400 vanguards were registered in schools and communities.
More so, the agency has successfully carried out Hazard Mapping and Vulnerability Assessment of the FCT with continuous sensitization of communities across the Six (6) Area Councils on flood (and other risks) prevention, response and mitigation.
He, therefore, appealed to residents of the territory to take personal and collective responsibility in ensuring safety by avoiding risk behaviours that increase the people’s vulnerability to disasters.
