Citizen participation is the missing vital link in making cities resilient to natural disasters
Lessons from towns in Southern Africa who mobilized citizens and survived Cyclone Idai
The City of Beira is considered to be the most exposed to current and future climate risks in Mozambique. Recognizing this level of risk, the city embarked on a climate resilience project in 2012, with $120 million from the World Bank, to build a new seven-mile drainage system and waves barrier to withstand rising seas and increasing storms.
Less than a decade later, Cyclone Idai hit the city hard, the infrastructure notwithstanding. The storms commenced on March 14, 2019 with devastating impact. It claimed at least 1000 lives, displaced tens of thousands and created an inland sea from flooding that measured 80 by 15 miles. The coastal town of 500,000 residents was badly damaged by high winds and flooding, destroying up to 90% of its existing infrastructure.
In an interview done with NPR, Goats and Soda — a health blog covering health and development around the world, Daviz Simango, the current mayor of Beira confessed that he thought his town had been prepared for a cyclone. How is it then that the cyclone did this much damage? The situation in Mozambique raises the question of how to make the world’s most vulnerable communities resilient to natural disasters and the impacts of a changing climate.
One reason that could account for such a devastating aftermath was because the people of the region did not benefit from the type of infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather. Preparedness had focused on drainage systems, and yet majority of the residents live in informal housing often made of materials unable to withstand severe weather. The level of investment made was not high enough for an event of this scale. Institutions such as hospitals, churches and schools suffered the same fate.
Same disaster, different outcomes
Still, amid the destruction and hopelessness, the community of Beira have shown some flashes of resilience. In an article published titled, ‘The villages in Malawi that prepared for the floods — and survived’, the authors document how some villages in neighboring Malawi took steps to prepare upon receiving warnings of an impending storm. In these stories lie the lessons that other African cities must learn if they are to have a chance at coping with natural disasters.
One important lesson came from a Group Village Headman for Thaundi Village mandated to react to extreme weather warnings. Edward Biasi, who took over this position from his grandfather said he received news of the cyclone via the radio weather forecast. “There was no time for a formal, sit-down discussion,” he recalls. He had to mobilize his community to evacuate immediately.
What saved another village was the indigenous knowledge that blue gum trees become slippery when they are wet, and that mango trees maintain their grip. Families that got caught up with the floods leveraged on this piece of information to clamper up and get to safety. One village narrated their experience in hosting another displaced community and sharing whatever little resources they had until aid arrived.
In yet another village, locals organized to form Village Civil Protection Committees and received disaster-management training from the government. The first step was to train residents to recognize the warning signs. “When we see more ants, that is a sign that more rains are coming.” The committee created assembly points on higher ground, so that people would know exactly where to go when they sensed trouble. When the floods did come, the response was calm and orderly.
Citizen involvement
In leveraging the lessons from these villages, what stands out the most is the level at which residents organized and acted on early warning systems. Any sound disaster mitigation strategy will be worth its while only if it factors in an active role of the local community.
One way to achieve this is by communicating evacuation plans to all residents in a timely manner. They should include what trigger signs to look out for, the escape routes and emergency assembly points. If possible, communities should carry out drills beforehand.
Early warning dissemination and recognition of indigenous knowledge could go a long way in saving communities from damage. Formal communications on weather forecasts, combined with contextual intelligence and lived experience create a winning combination for timely response to natural disasters. Strategies need to be informed by an understanding of existing infrastructure and how to make adjustments to counter extreme weather events.
Leadership and governance are a crucial element in disaster preparedness and response. Similar to the village civil protection committees, it is important for communities to designate leadership positions to residents. They should be trained and recognized as formal structures of those communities.
During a natural disaster, how one prepares, and responds is usually a thin line between life and death. Cyclone Idai offers a paradoxical lesson on how city-wide infrastructure failed to protect the city, and yet how some villages organized around early warnings and indigenous knowledge and survived. Cities should carefully consider incorporating citizen participation in the creation of their disaster mitigation plans.
