By: Mayen Etim
KADUNA, North-West, Nigeria – Due to climate change that is raving nations of the world, a group under the aegis of Disaster Risk Reduction – Non State Actors Network, (DRR-NSAN), recently trained residents of Kawo Community, in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna state, on how to build resilience culture on risk sensitive communities through multi-stakeholders.
The one-day workshop facilitated by Africa DRR champion, Dr. Tabi Joda, coincided with the International Workers day on May 1st 2018, was held at Minor Lodge in Kawo, KNLGA, featured discussion s on introduction of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Sendai Seven targets, and Sendai principles and why active participation from local actors is necessary in accelerating its implementation and achieving the overall objectives of the Sendai framework alongside the SDGs agenda 2030.
The program chaired by the former member of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Dr. Muhammad Ali, looked at state of critical infrastructure in Nigeria, how to build risk sensitive communities with a culture of resilience through multi-stakeholders led by DRR actions while creating innovative solutions in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation for a sustainable, safer and resilient future.
According to Dr.Joda, the theme of the workshop; ‘Mainstreaming multi-stakeholders/Local Communities in the Implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction,’ becomes necessary to inform citizens of the link between their daily activities and disasters like floods, bush fires, earthquakes, landslides, droughts, tsunamis, and food losses among others.
“To bring the urgency of inclusive and comprehensive disaster risk reduction to the participants, three short videos from three different disaster scenarios were viewed. This includes; Recent floods in Sierra Leone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G2MvdIC1FI Recent droughts in the Sahel region https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJiHYCiXuhM Recent earthquakes in Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrUMhc7XNHA
“Also videos on how some communities around the world are building resilience to disasters were viewed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XJ9uLT8QIY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTRl6KmeXIQ as a way to drive a message of hope and understanding of how communities in Kawo can develop its culture of resilience to reduce agents of mortality and economic losses,” he said.
Speaking to the media shortly after the workshop, a participant, Stella Nji said she lost her poultry farm worth N400,000 to the 2016 floods in Kaduna.
“I lost my poultry farm to the floods that happened in 2016 in Kaduna and since then I have not recovered because that was only money I had saved for over five years 400,000 Naira ($1400 USD).
“Whenever I hear about disasters, I am eager to be part of the solution that is why I am at this meeting and it has educated me so much,” she disclosed.
Participants at the workshop which includes: youth, women, entrepreneurs, farmers, drivers, community leaders, Local Civil Society Organisations, Community Based Organizations and Nongovernmental Organizations among others, commended organizers of the programme for creating the rare avenue for them to learn the realities about the causes of disasters and how to prevent them.
They also expressed their commitments to join efforts with DRR Non-State Actors Network to combat disasters through building community resilience and climate adaptation actions that is delivered both on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.