Mmabatho- North West Provincial Government, through the National Disaster Management Centre, is stepping up its efforts to strengthen communities’ resilience to disasters by promoting the inclusion of older person in disaster risk reduction strategies.

This comes as the international community commemorates the International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction on Monday.

South Africa will commemorate the day in Rustenburg, North West, where Premier for North West Supra Mahumapelo and Local Government and Human Settlement MEC Collen Maine will lead disaster management practitioners in finding disaster resilience measures that are inclusive of all vulnerable people like the older persons.

MEC for Local Government and Human Settlement Collen Maine says: “As a country we need to recognise older persons indigenous disaster risk resilience knowledge and use that for better planning and mitigation of disasters”.

In line with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s call for involvement of older person’s in planning for disaster risk reduction, the National Disaster Management Centre has undertaken to consult with older person’s and the organization’s working with them to understand their needs in time of disaster.

Municipalities in the country will be requested to pledge their support to improve the situation of older person’s by including them in their disaster risk reduction which must address their vulnerabilities and strengthen their resilience.

The commemoration of the International Day of Disaster Reduction will take place over two days as follows:

Date: 13-14 October 2014

Venue: Rustenburg Civic Centre (13 October 2014) and Rustenburg Olympia Park Stadium (14 October 2014)

Time: 09h00 – 17h30 (13 October 2014)
09h00 – 13h00 (14 October 2014)
-TDN
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