GTZ promotes coordination and participation of the local population

Eschborn, (5 March 2007). Thanks to well-functioning disaster preparedness arrangements – with an early warning system, emergency aid centres and coordination channels – the terrible flooding in Mozambique did not catch the country fully unprepared. The fact is that the National Disaster Management Institute, INGC, is in a good position to organise aid measures effectively when disaster strikes. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH – German Technical Cooperation – provides the institute with the relevant advisory services. GTZ is active in three provinces in central Mozambique on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Disaster preparedness is paying off in the current situation. “Cyclone Flávio has now moved on to the Búzi region, and we are working flat out to provide emergency aid. The good news is that the early warning system managed by the district government has worked quite well,” reports GTZ expert Wolfgang Stiebens.

A rapid flow of information is the essence of disaster prevention. The 285 employees of the INGC coordinate the activities of all persons involved in disaster management, from the central government to the regional and local administrations on down to the population itself. The interfaces for disaster management are the emergency aid centres. It is there that information is gathered on where and what aid is needed. The centres plan evacuation and set up emergency reception camps. Ministerial representatives are at hand as well in selected emergency centres, where, during emergencies, they conduct daily conferences on the situation as it unfolds and speed up decision-making. The population itself is directly involved in disaster preparedness. For example, local people gauge water levels at regular intervals and form committees that are trained to carry out evacuation smoothly and professionally. Disaster preparedness has been made a standard subject in school curricula so that as many people as possible are qualified for emergency tasks. GTZ conducts simulation exercises so that all procedures, but especially the flow of information, are familiar and well-practiced in the event of emergency.
Disaster preparedness is a key component of Mozambique’s national action plan for poverty reduction. The BMZ has made EUR 1.75 million available for related activities. One firm that supports disaster preparedness is Munich Re, which has contributed EUR 200,000 for the early warning system so far.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH – German Technical Cooperation – is an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. For more than 30 years, it has provided viable, forward-looking solutions for political, economic, ecological and social development in a globalised world. GTZ’s corporate objective is to improve people's living conditions on a sustainable basis. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is its main client.