Question NW3819 to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Reply:

1. No. Preparedness measures are funded by organs of state from their own resources. The NDMC provide support and guidance to organs of state on preparedness measures. (a) Not applicable. (b) Not applicable

2. The actual work that has been done or being done in 2023 to ensure that municipalities are able to handle natural disasters include amongst others the following:

• Since the beginning of 2023, 8 district municipalities in priority disaster areas have been assessed on the implementation of their disaster management plans and strategies to prevent, prepare for and mitigate disaster risks in terms of the Disaster Management Act. By the end of 2023, a total of 12 district municipalities in priority disaster areas would have been assessed on the implementation of their disaster management plans and strategies to prevent, prepare for and mitigate disaster risks in terms of the Disaster Management Act.
• From an NDMC’s early warning perspective, support to local municipalities includes the preparation of quarterly seasonal outlooks (issued at the quarterly National Advisory Forum) that provide a forwarding looking prediction of hazards combined with future weather scenarios. This enables short- and medium-term planning to take place at local level. The issuing of monthly drought monitoring updates to provide 6,12 and 36 monthly drought spatial maps allows municipalities to manage the drought hazard with their local geographies.
• Support to organs of state on the development of response procedures aligned to the South African Weather Service Impact Based Early Warning Table (Level 1-10) This support takes the form of a series of national workshops are being conducted by the NDMC to develop response procedure and decision-making procedures aligned to the 10 levels of the Impact Based Early warning systems for severe weather.
• Enhancement of collaborative efforts with the South African Weather Service to incorporate other new products and data to improve the disaster management function. This enhancement takes the form of a renewed MoU with the SA Weather service that brings a series of new data and services to understand climate change indicators, better mapping of past incidents of severe weather and improving predictability of hazards based on historical analysis.
• The continuation of disseminating impact based early warnings weather warning and advisories that informs decision making, response activations and preparedness by local disaster management structure and relevant by stakeholders including communities.

End.