Editorial,

Human beings and human affairs are not always perfect. Our decisions and our undertakings are therefore bound to be marred by some complications resulting in disasters.

They come in various forms with huge impacts on humans and the environment, requiring formidable intervention from across the board. However, disasters are not always unpredictable. For instance, it is a universal truth that floods, mostly as a result of heavy downpour, take place in valleys and flood plains, droughts in areas with low rainfall, and oil spills in shipping lanes, and so on. The predictability nature of such provides opportunity to plan for, prevent and lessen the impact of such disasters.

Disasters arise from both natural and human causes, and the responses needed could stretch communities’ and governments’ capacity to the limit. We may not always know when and where they will happen, but their worst effects can be partially or completely prevented by preparation, early warning, swift, and decisive response. Therefore, the recent inauguration of a disaster management council under a disaster management framework by President Jammeh has indeed come at a much better time. This would ensure that the nation is on the alert and be prepared for future disasters. This explains the point that council is raising on this edition of this paper.

However, the task should not be left in the sole hands of the Disaster Management Governing Council. The municipal and Area councils have a crucial role to play. Every municipality must have a disaster management plan as part of its Integrated Development Plans. This plan must set up the structure and mechanisms for dealing with disasters and it must anticipate future disasters. Plans must be developed to deal with disasters that occur regularly - for example flooding in informal settlements and roads.

It may be true that a good number of disasters occurrences can not be prevented totally, however, timely warning and planning can minimize the damage; keeping records of vulnerable areas, monitoring of rescue and relief operations, managing data base can be of importance to this task.

Mutual aid schemes can also be of great help in the mobilization of resources, while training of the various functionaries, and an effective public awareness and education campaign involving the communities will ensure that the plans are disseminated to the lowest levels possible.