Latest news with #disastermanagement
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
DPM Zahid: Malaysia, Russia to sign MoU on disaster management this year
PUTRAJAYA, June 19 — Malaysia and Russia are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on disaster management cooperation later this year. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the MoU would establish a practical framework for joint training, knowledge exchange and coordinated emergency response. 'As Asean Chair this year, Malaysia remains committed to regional leadership in disaster response,' he said at a joint press conference with Russian Emergency Situations Minister Colonel General Alexander Kurenkov here today. Ahmad Zahid, who also chairs the Central Disaster Management Committee, said Malaysia welcomed Russia's offer to provide capacity-building programmes for Malaysian officers — including a specialised training course in Vladivostok this September. 'We are exploring broader collaboration, including technology transfer in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) applications for disaster monitoring,' he said. He added that Malaysia's National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) was among the first to respond to the recent earthquake in Myanmar, operating alongside international teams including Russia's RUS-03. Malaysia and Russia have also agreed to conduct joint search and rescue (SAR) training between the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) and the RUS-03 team. Ahmad Zahid expressed appreciation for Russia's offer to train the SMART team and for inviting senior officers from the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia to attend a specialised course at a top university in St Petersburg. He also welcomed Emercom's cultural ensemble, describing its participation as a meaningful gesture that fosters people-to-people ties and deepens the bilateral relationship. He said Emercom's visit marked a significant step forward in disaster management cooperation between both countries. Ahmad Zahid also acknowledged the strong working relationship between Nadma and Emercom, especially through platforms such as the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (Insarag) and the Asean Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). He added that he looked forward to attending an international conference and disaster management event hosted by Russia in Azerbaijan. Earlier today, Ahmad Zahid received a courtesy call from Kurenkov, which he said marked an important milestone in bilateral ties. Meanwhile, Kurenkov said the meeting covered key areas such as training and education for firefighters and rescue personnel. 'Emercom's academies offer a wide range of programmes for international specialists — not only for firefighters and rescuers, but also for medics, dog handlers and UAV operators,' he said. He noted Emercom's interest in learning about Malaysia's modern fire and rescue training methods and the importance of exchanging best practices. He added that both countries are committed to enhancing early warning systems and risk communication for natural disasters, especially in prevention, prediction and risk management using space monitoring and remote sensing technologies. 'In Russia, these functions are handled by the National Crisis Management Centre. Overall, our countries have great potential for deeper cooperation in managing the aftermath of natural and manmade disasters,' he said. — Bernama
The Herald
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Herald
Cold, wet weather alert for the Cape: safety checklist in case of floods
Authorities have shared a winter safety checklist on how to respond to flooding as the Western and Northern Cape brace for several days of cold and wet weather. 'Very cold conditions with daytime temperatures of 10°C and below are expected in places over the interior of the Western Cape and the Namakwa district {Northern Cape] from Wednesday to Saturday,' the SA Weather Service (Saws) said on Wednesday. 'The provincial disaster management centre co-ordinates and supports the district disaster centres and each local municipality in the province knows what is expected during the winter months to keep people safe,' said Western Cape local government, environmental affairs and development planning MEC Anton Bredell. 'Several days of cold and wet weather is predicted for the remainder of this week as well as next week and our disaster and emergency services will monitor this closely.' Bredell cited the recent drowning of a young woman while trying to cross a low-level water bridge in Slanghoek near Rawsonville, saying it was important to share safety precautions for inclement weather. The provincial disaster management centre said residents should prepare a household emergency plan on what to do in case of a flood and assemble a 'grab-and-go kit' containing: important documents such as IDs, passports, birth certificates, policies and clinic cards; cellphone recharger; essential medication and copies of prescriptions; credit cards and money; first aid kit; and make sure water can drain away from homes and check roofs for leaks. During heavy rain: pay attention to warnings. Listen to the radio or check reputable social media such as Saws or municipality for updates; store a supply of drinking water; if you live in a flood-prone area or are camping in a low-lying area, get to higher ground immediately; if told to evacuate by authorities, do so immediately. Lock your home when you leave. If you have time, disconnect utilities and appliances; avoid areas, roads and passes that are subject to sudden flooding; avoid damaged live electrical infrastructure; do not attempt to walk or drive over a flooded road. Even 15cm of fast-moving floodwater can knock you off your feet and a depth of two feet is enough to float a car. Never try to walk, swim or drive through swift running water; and avoid contact with flood water as it can be mixed with sewerage, oil, fuel or dangerous chemicals. Prevent children from playing in and near flood water. TimesLIVE
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Climate
- Washington Post
Dramatic ash cloud blankets sky in Indonesia as volcano erupts
A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted Tuesday, blanketing the sky with a more than six-mile-high ash cloud and prompting authorities to raise the country's volcanic alert level. Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki started erupting Tuesday afternoon local time, spewing ash and gravel onto surrounding villages and prompting the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to call on people to evacuate outside the impact radius.
News24
3 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Request to declare Eastern Cape floods a national disaster will be considered
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa will consider declaring a national state of disaster in the flood-hit Eastern Cape. This after the EFF recommended immediate action with a national disaster command council, citing severe damage and provincial incapacity. The government launched early response measures, deployed resources, and prioritised saving lives, restoring services and recovery planning. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa says he will consider the EFF's urgent request to him to declare a national state of disaster in response to the floods in the Eastern Cape. 'Regarding the proposal that a state of disaster be declared, I wish to point out that I will consider this as an option only when it becomes clear that the existing legislation and contingency arrangements need to be augmented [i.e. requiring temporary legislative means] through disaster regulations designed to achieve a specific objective that cannot be achieved through the classification of the disaster already made,' Hlabisa said. Last week, the EFF wrote to Hlabisa: 'It is our firm view that the conditions outlined in Section 27[1] of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 [Act No 57 of 2002] have now clearly been met. The scale of destruction, the level of human loss and the visible institutional incapacity of the provincial government demand that a national state of disaster be declared without delay.' The party proposed that Hlabisa's department immediately establish a national disaster response command council involving key national departments, public finance watchdogs, provincial representatives and affected community leaders. In his response on 14 June, Hlabisa conceded the tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of more than 80 people, required collaborative interventions by all spheres of government. 'When our early warning systems, managed through the South African Weather Services, alerted the government to the expected severe weather conditions, the National Disaster Management Centre immediately, through the respective provincial and municipal disaster management centres in the identified areas, prepared and issued early warning messages and alerts to communities and organs of state to make preparations and to take early action to mitigate the potential impact of the expected severe weather.' He said he took note of the EFF's proposal for the coordination of the disaster response and pointed out that upon receipt of its letter on 12 June, respective provincial and municipal disaster management centres had already been active for several days from where they had been implementing their respective contingency arrangements and providing daily reports on their assessments, response measures and so on through daily situational reports. He said: 'At the national level of government, the National Joint Flood Coordination Committee [both technical and directors-general] as well as the Interministerial Committee of Disaster Management were already activated and have met on several occasions to assess the situation and to make decisions on how to support the affected provinces, specifically the Eastern Cape.' 'In this regard, a high-level delegation of ministers, DGs [directors-general], and senior officials were deployed on Tuesday to the Eastern Cape and, on arrival, started to coordinate and integrate the response and support efforts already under way. Daily meetings of various technical and political structures are taking place.' On the declaration of the national disaster, Hlabisa said that on 11 June, the disaster centre had completed the preliminary assessments of the disaster. The following day, he added, a national disaster classification was done for the four provinces, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Western Cape, which designated the primary responsibility to coordinate and manage the disaster to the national executive using existing legislation and contingency arrangements; and paved the way for the allocation of additional materials and funds, be it through the reallocation or reprioritisation of existing grants or the allocation of funds from the disaster relief grants that his department manages. Hlabisa added: Regarding your request for a concrete outline of the national government's intended course of action, I wish to point out that the immediate plan is to ensure that we save lives, provide emergency shelter, and provide immediate relief materials that are needed by the affected communities to stabilise the situation Additionally, the minister added that the weather had improved over the last few days, which would help finalise this response phase in the next few days. 'The completion of the restoration of basic services [water, sanitation and electricity] that has been interrupted, and the provision of sustained relief to ensure that a process of recovery is ushered in, is also a key priority. 'The assessment of damage to homes and infrastructure to plan the reconstruction is also already under way and, once completed, will allow for the preparation of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme which can be communicated when developed.'
Arab News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Rain predicted in parts of Punjab in next 24 hours as heatwave eases
ISLAMABAD: Light rain is forecast in several divisions of Pakistan's Punjab province over the next 24 hours, provincial disaster management officials said on Monday, as a prolonged heat wave begins to ease in some areas. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on June 10 an ongoing heatwave in several parts of the country was expected to continue well into the middle of the month, with temperatures soaring above normal, disrupting daily life and raising health concerns. However, the heat wave has begun to subside, a spokesperson for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said in a situation report, and in the past 24 hours, Bahawalnagar recorded 8 millimeters of rain, Sahiwal 3 mm, and Toba Tek Singh up to 2 mm. Rainfall was also reported in Multan, Sialkot, Jhang, Kasur, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi districts. 'Rain is predicted in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Gujranwala, D.G. Khan, and Sahiwal divisions in the next 24 hours,' the PDMA spokesperson said. Five people were injured in a roof collapse caused by rain in Kasur district in the last 24 hours, the PDMA confirmed. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia 'instructed to provide the best medical assistance to the injured' and urged residents to exercise caution during unstable weather. 'Citizens are requested to take precautionary measures in bad weather conditions,' Kathia said in the statement. 'Stay in safe places in bad weather conditions. Never go out under the open sky during thunderstorms.' Pakistan ranks among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change and has faced increasingly frequent extreme weather events in recent years, including deadly heat waves and floods. Temperatures in the upper parts of the country including parts of Punjab, Islamabad, northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern regions of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan remained 5°C to 7°C above normal this past week. Temperatures in the southern Sindh, eastern Punjab and southwestern Balochistan provinces stayed 4°C to 6°C above normal.
