Japanese ambassador proposes disaster classes
Japanese Ambassador Junzo Fujita in a recent interview. PHOTO BY STEPHEN WANDERA
Kasese- Japanese ambassador Junzo Fujita has asked government to introduce disaster preparedness classes in schools to equip citizens with skills of mitigating effects of disasters.
“I must emphasise the importance of risk reduction when disaster occurs. You must prepare and prevent disasters that have affected the country knowing that treatment is always expensive,” Mr Fujita said.
The envoy was on Friday speaking at the launch of a Shs3 billion natural disaster response and climate change project in Kasese District.
Mr Fujita said Japan also suffers disasters but has introduced risk reduction classes in both primary and secondary schools and in communities.
“We experienced the worst floods brought about by a massive tsunami in Japan in 2011 where more than 3,000 school children were affected,” he said.
“But all of them were rescued and evacuated because they were equipped with knowledge and disaster prevention and reaction,” he added.
The natural disaster response project in Kasese is funded by Save the Children, Japan. Save the Children country director Barbara Burroughs said the pilot project in Karusandara Sub-county would soon spread to the whole district and the entire country. The project will last three years.
“Today, I am very excited that instead of responding to emergencies that happened here in the last three years, we are launching the risk reduction and management project, which must be spread in the whole district and the entire country,” Ms Burroughs said.
Ms Burroughs said a community radio would work as an early warning to the community in case of disaster.
The district vice chairperson, Mr Tadeo Muhindo, said Karusandara Sub-county has been worst hit by flooding since 2013.
Mr Muhindo said whereas the district recovery plan has been put in place, its implementation is limited by funds.
THE BACKGROUND
Kasese has been hit by floods since 2013, leaving the district in need of infrastructural rehabilitation. Every rainy season, River Nyamwamba on the slopes of Mt Rwenzori bursts its banks, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
