Ngurare calls for urgent investment in resilience to avert disasters
Prime Minister Dr Elijah Ngurare, has called for a shift from reactive disaster response to proactive investment in resilience, encouraging both public and private sectors to “fund resilience, not disasters” during a national commemoration of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Speaking in Katutura at an event co-organised by the Office of the Prime Minister and the City of Windhoek, Ngurare warned that “the cost of inaction is always greater than the cost of preparedness”, stressing that prevention must take precedence over response.
“This day calls all of us to reflect on the efforts that have been made in the past, interrogate our current status, and help us to charge forward with actions,” he said. “It is my sincere belief that from here, we will undertake to curb or mitigate impacts in the midst of increasing frequency and intensity of disasters.”
The commemoration, held under the global theme “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters”, highlighted the urgent need to invest in prevention, preparedness and community resilience at all levels of society.
Ngurare reminded attendees that disasters are not abstract statistics but deeply human tragedies. Recalling the story of Kauna, a petrol attendant who lost her two sons in a shack fire, he reflected: “Behind every figure captured in post-disaster reports, that figure represents a human face, a life that should not have been lost, children who should not have been orphaned, mothers and fathers who should not have lost their beloved children.”
He acknowledged the recurring fires in informal settlements such as Bamboo dha Nehale, Tobias Hainyeko and Moses Garoeb constituencies, and called for practical local interventions such as providing “each house a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, etc., as a first line of defence.”
climate, drought, and fire threats
Namibia continues to endure recurring droughts, devastating floods and, most recently, wildfires in Etosha National Park. Ngurare stressed that disasters of this nature are not only environmental challenges but also development setbacks.
“For a country where over 70% of the population depends on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, every disaster event is not just an environmental crisis; it can also be detrimental to our developmental aspirations,” he said.
He revealed that the government plans to drill boreholes around Etosha and in other rural areas to ensure water availability during future fires. We decided that boreholes must be drilled in Etosha and the surrounding affected areas. Furthermore, in each village, there must be boreholes to ensure that in the event of fire, there is water to extinguish the fire,” he added.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to establishing a national emergency operation centre to strengthen early warning systems and coordinate national disaster responses.
Citing the government’s reintroduction of the food-and-cash-for-work programme, Ngurare said such initiatives were vital to enhancing resilience among vulnerable communities.
“These programmes will play a vital role in building resilience among vulnerable communities facing the threat of disasters and climate shocks. Linking assistance to productive community work contributes to long-term disaster risk reduction and adaptation," he continued.
Speaking in Katutura at an event co-organised by the Office of the Prime Minister and the City of Windhoek, Ngurare warned that “the cost of inaction is always greater than the cost of preparedness”, stressing that prevention must take precedence over response.
“This day calls all of us to reflect on the efforts that have been made in the past, interrogate our current status, and help us to charge forward with actions,” he said. “It is my sincere belief that from here, we will undertake to curb or mitigate impacts in the midst of increasing frequency and intensity of disasters.”
The commemoration, held under the global theme “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters”, highlighted the urgent need to invest in prevention, preparedness and community resilience at all levels of society.
Ngurare reminded attendees that disasters are not abstract statistics but deeply human tragedies. Recalling the story of Kauna, a petrol attendant who lost her two sons in a shack fire, he reflected: “Behind every figure captured in post-disaster reports, that figure represents a human face, a life that should not have been lost, children who should not have been orphaned, mothers and fathers who should not have lost their beloved children.”
He acknowledged the recurring fires in informal settlements such as Bamboo dha Nehale, Tobias Hainyeko and Moses Garoeb constituencies, and called for practical local interventions such as providing “each house a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, etc., as a first line of defence.”
climate, drought, and fire threats
Namibia continues to endure recurring droughts, devastating floods and, most recently, wildfires in Etosha National Park. Ngurare stressed that disasters of this nature are not only environmental challenges but also development setbacks.
“For a country where over 70% of the population depends on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, every disaster event is not just an environmental crisis; it can also be detrimental to our developmental aspirations,” he said.
He revealed that the government plans to drill boreholes around Etosha and in other rural areas to ensure water availability during future fires. We decided that boreholes must be drilled in Etosha and the surrounding affected areas. Furthermore, in each village, there must be boreholes to ensure that in the event of fire, there is water to extinguish the fire,” he added.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to establishing a national emergency operation centre to strengthen early warning systems and coordinate national disaster responses.
Citing the government’s reintroduction of the food-and-cash-for-work programme, Ngurare said such initiatives were vital to enhancing resilience among vulnerable communities.
“These programmes will play a vital role in building resilience among vulnerable communities facing the threat of disasters and climate shocks. Linking assistance to productive community work contributes to long-term disaster risk reduction and adaptation," he continued.
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