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Date Posted: 13:40:09 03/05/03 Wed
Author: Gibiluwi Gibisau
Author Host/IP: 202.165.192.20
Subject: Re: Helpful Disaster Management Tips for Milne Bay People
In reply to: Kaigabu Kamnanaya 's message, "Helpful Disaster Management Tips for Milne Bay People" on 23:16:51 02/24/03 Mon

Kaigabu, you are raising a valid point given that MBP is always prone to these sort of disasters due to its geographical location. I should stress out that we need proactive solutions more than reactive. Your views are to the contrary I guess.

I think that most, if not all, the disasters are predictable and avoidable. For eg, cyclone normally happens during the time of the year when monsoonal season is on. When a boat goes out into the sea against the advice of Wheather Office (WO) the possibility of disaster is high. When a overloaded boat sails without basic safety requirements on board, you know what the consequences would be like. If you were told that there is a possibility of long dry wheather and you do not store enough food esp yams and sago, water or saved enough money, you know that you will go hungry.

Unfortunately we have a tradition of strong denial because people were accustomed to that way of life. The past was no different to the present mindset. As educated, we know that taking excessive risks will, often than not, result in disaster.

The point I am making is the need for more educational awareness to our people to appreciate the real risks involved in their daily activities. As we know, the cost of having people missing at sea or suffering from El Nino or Cyclone are enormous to the immediate families, community and the governments budgets. In our endeavors to finding solutions to the problems you have listed, I offer the followng;

a) Install VHF radios to all Islands
b) Introduce laws to control Islander's movements in times of eminent bad weather & WO should have powers to prosecute anyone found disobeying its orders,
d)Enforce provisions of the Act governing the vessels
e) Prov government and Districts need to make it their business to educate islanders about the risks involved in the sea, cyclone, El Nino etc and how to control/avoid or minimise effects of those risks.
f) educate people about food/water presevation methods etc and how to save money during the time when villages are flushed with cash for future. Also educate people on how to cook food during the time of scarcity.
g)enourage community to be more caring and helping in these difficult times... and the list goes on.

I wrote the above reflecting from my experiences during the time of El Nino in 1997-98. During that time, my people did very well with limited 'food'. I realise that there were lot of food aroung but what people regard food as being yams, taro, s/potatoes etc. During that time they became very creative in their cooking that they could cook one pkt of rice two or three times to feed an average family of five to six. How they did it? SOme rice, more cabbages and other veges like tomatoes etc to create a very delicious and nutricious meal. Kids appeared to put on a lot of weight during that time and all this amount to creative cooking.

I hope the above helps your cause a bit. Contact me at Toidi@notme.com should you wish to discuss the above views privately

Gibiluvi Gibisau





>This Page is for Helpful Disaster Management Tips or
>Practices and I wish to sincerely ask any Milne Bay
>interested citizens to contribute. Please be
>constructive in your presentation. You can ask
>questions, make suggestions, give examples of
>experiences through your local settings concerning the
>structural mechanism and the "hows" and "whens" or
>"whys" you practice this way and not that way in
>trying to remedy the effects or impacts of the common
>disasters in Milne Bay Province etc. etc.
>
>The key word to begin with is "DISASTER" and with it
>are the words like, "human-cause disaster" and
>"natural-caused disaster". I will come back to you on
>the definitions late on. Meanwhile, think of the
>following hazard trigering disasters: Drought,
>tropical cyclone, flood, landslide, earthquake,
>tsunami, oil spill, fire, accidents involving boats,
>canoes, dinghies, planes and big trucks etc.
>
>Think of the countermeasures put in placed for rapid
>response, for prevention, for preparation, for
>restoration and ofcourse for strategic planning and
>development by your traditional, local community and
>the provincial authorities.
>
>I will leave you here and the next time when I come
>your way, I will try to explain the definitions of the
>concepts raised in this first page.
>
>Kagutoki

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