District Commissioner for Mwanza, Michael Chimbalanga has stressed the significance of preparing a comprehensive contingency plan at district level, saying it remains crucial in guiding councils on what action to be taken in case a disaster occurs.
Chimbalanga was speaking at the end of a three-day workshop aimed at formulating a disaster contingency plan for Mwanza District Council with support from European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) in Blantyre on Monday.
“The document will be a guiding tool of activities to be implemented by the council and will also be marketed to seek support from both stakeholders and development partners,” said Chimbalanga.
The plan, which is expected to be effective from October 2020/21 and revisited annually, contains issues in sectors such as health, education, agriculture and environment.
“Most importantly, the issue of COVID-19 which has affected people globally has also been integrated in the document,” added Chimbalanga.
One of the participants at the workshop, District Youth Officer for Mwanza, Kazembe Juma expressed gratitude that issues affecting the youth during disasters were also considered in the plan.
“I am optimistic that challenges which the youth encounter when an emergency takes place will be addressed because they have been factored in the plan,” Juma said.
Preparation of the contingency plan was attended by both government sector heads and civil society organisations in the district.