NEMA underscores need to harmonise modern, traditional knowledge in disaster risk mgt.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has underscored the importance of synchronising modern and traditional knowledge toward disater risk reduction.

The agency’s Director, Risk Reduction, Mr Alhassan Nuhu, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He was speaking against the backdrop of the commemoration of the 2015 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

According to him, the agency’s focus is in line with this year’s theme: ‘The Use of Traditional, Local and Indigenous Knowledge for Disaster Risk Reduction’.

“Even before modern day hydrological systems studies, there has been traditional knowledge, traditional skills in determining early warning systems.

“The importance of today’s event is to synchronize modern and traditional knowledge for disaster risk reduction.

“Most of our people depend on this credible traditional knowledge and they can easily assimilate the modern knowledge, if juxtaposed with the traditional one.

“They should not be seen as substitutes, traditional knowledge, modern knowledge are supposed to complement each other.”

He added that integrating traditional knowledge with modern knowledge was not a setback but a step forward to saving more lives and the environment.

According to him, Nigeria has been able to achieve such giant strides by putting in place a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) mechanism and increasing preparedness to disaster response ahead of other countries in Africa.

“After the Sendai Framework, Nigeria, ahead of continental efforts, has drawn the Nigerian agenda to focus on the four targets to see how we can improve in all of them.

“The first target is on risk identification; how to be able to identify the risks that is staring at us as a nation.

“The risk governance factor, the role of government, institutions in terms of disaster risk reduction which we try to ring out clearly and to brace up to it.

“On risk investment, we have also identified measures to ensure that relevant governments at the three tiers invest sufficiently to ensure that the medium to long-term risks are reduced.

“In the area of preparedness, this comprises of early warning systems and the synergy between NEMA, NIMET, and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA) has culminated to the formation of a task team.”

According to him, the synergy between NEMA and relevant stakeholders has helped in monitoring daily weather events, which has further sharpened the agency’s preparedness to risk reduction and prompt response.

He also disclosed that the Operation Office in Abuja as well as those in states were fully equipped with test planning manuals, conducting rehearsals, drills, and simulation exercises from time to time.

All these, he said, signify the country’s readiness to respond to emergencies at any time.

According to him, the country has done remarkably well in all the four target areas of the Sendai Framework.

NAN recalls that the Sendai Framework on DRR 2015-2013 was adopted by UN member states at the World Conference for DRR on March 18, in Sendai, Japan.

The Framework contains seven targets and four priorities of action to be implemented by member countries to reduce disaster risks.

The International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) encourages every citizen and government to take part in building more disaster resilient communities and nations.
The International Day for Disaster Reduction started in 1989 with the approval by the United Nations General Assembly.

The UN General Assembly sees the IDDR as a way to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness.