NEMA links disasters to poor land use

AS the world marks this year's International Disaster Reduction Day, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani-Sidi yesterday identified unplanned and unregulated land use as major factors that have aggravated the scope of disasters in the country.Attributing other causes of disasters to include climate change, environmental controls, poor enforcement of building standards and urbanisation, Sani-Sidi called for a multi-sectoral approach in disaster management.Speaking on the theme of the celebration 'Children and young people as partners in disaster risk reduction' in Abuja, he disclosed that children are among the most vulnerable when disaster occurs.According to the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, no fewer than 66 million children are affected by disasters globally.'Our greatest challenge is how to make people at the local levels of government make disaster reduction a priority. Disasters have continued to increase as a result of climate change, but they are aggravated by unplanned and unregulated land use, weak environmental controls, poor enforcement of building standards, urbanisation and other development-linked factors that increase the vulnerability of people, property and infrastructure.'Postponing learning until emergency is over means that many children will never attend school again. They may not learn to read and write or be fundamentally numerate. Burdened with adult roles and left without the opportunity to play, children are denied opportunities to develop creative talents or practice co-operation,' he said.Sani-Sidi added that uneducated children are vulnerable to a future of poverty, more easily drawn into violence, and lack the complex skills so important to their society's reconstruction and development.On his part, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative, Mr. Adili Malantu, said there is need for women to be involved in disaster management because over 70 per cent of women and children are victims of disasters all over the world.
Click here to read full news..