Climate Disaster Risk Response Management Initiative by CCJN: “Prevention is Better than Cure” Maroua Flood Emergency Situation Report and Exigencies as Heavy Rains Persist; ✓ Over 158,620 Persons affected so far, 44,700 Houses engulfed, 195 Schools flooded, 74,000 Children deprived school, 30,000 Pregnant Women amongst IDPs, 1,178 heads of Cattles lost, 103000 Hectares of Farm Land Submerged. It is estimated that by the end of the Flood over 463,000 and 600,000 people risk being affected in the North and Extreme North Time for Mitigation and Adaptation Emergency Programs using Nature Based Solution Actions.

 

“Waste is Wealth Part XXXIV” on board our CLIMATE WAGON this week, our eyes are all focused on the flood disaster risk situation up North and the increasing humanitarian Challenges which is pushing our Land Media editorial team to push forward a spade of analysis that will resonate some sense in the minds of high level officials to step up preventive or preemptive disaster risk response management measures all over the Republic and nature based solution actions now or wait to intervene all over the Republic because climate change has come to stay and has suddenly taken a new dimension. Which is why we are recommending The “Prevention is better than Cure Therapy”.

Whistle Blowing Editorial;  “Prevention is better than Cure, Act now to Stop Future Disasters” Flood Situation  Management Up Extreme North in  Cameroon Under Surveillance.

The ever growing flood situation up North and the way it is been handled by government officials and international organizations is leaving the public with no better option than to take their own destinies into their own hands.

That is to start thinking of securing safe locations and disaster free zones as habitat subsequently .

This is as a result of what the public has witnessed and continues to undergo as flood situation persist in the Northern Part of Cameroon in the phase of increasing torrential rains. “poverty and absolute misery is the cause”  as many will explain for their living in unsafe areas.

Indicators and statistics have it on sound grounds that by the end of the Far North flood disaster risk situation over 463,000 and 600,000 people risks being affected and social provisions will not meet the expectations of the increasing numbers daily.

It is not for nothing that the indigenes of late resorted to using sticks and bags filled with  sand to mount artificial barricade in the Logone River to reduce inflow.

Artificial barricades in a River to reduce inflow and not a Dam in the 21^st century makes mockery of the whole situation.

A flood situation which is not taking the government by surprise, because the signals have long been there and meteorologist had even cautioned.

Another questionable situation under the ongoing flood circumstance up North is how much food, how many pillows, mattress, buckets and how much humanitarian relief actions will be sufficient enough to help victims come back to normal life situation.

We are not talking of lives lost yet, we are talking of material damages and social welfare, which as we report is growing worst daily irrespective of all the interventions and missions.

Missions, which to right thinking minds has not stop the flood and is not helping things out of the situation. Because many have now taken advantage of the situation for business as usual.

If it is not business as usual which one is cheaper to handle prevention or intervention? Because billions are been pumped up extreme North but the precarious flood situation is still at stake and much more money will be needed after to reconstruct homes, bridges and roads.

Soon you will hear of a special Presidential plan to reconstruct disaster affected zones in Cameroon(which as we report is cooking). When the Presidential reconstruction plan for crisis hit areas in the NoSo have not finished it’s work and is even still lobbying for funds to complete it’s phase II and III plan of action.

Another big glaring fact which leaves the government with no better option than to prevent disaster risk situations from happening than intervene because it is more expensive.

Unfortunately for the population, the Media has ironically taken the side of over reporting on the heavy lost, intervention measures taken by the powers that be and praise singing than cause the system to resort to disaster risk management efforts or embark on effective reporting on disaster risk response to averts another great climate subsequent predicament looming.

Climate change and Climate crisis is the disease of our time which need a lot of mitigation for adaption using nature based solution actions to prevent, preempt, notify and alert.

Most affected areas by the flood risk situation it must be noted are the Logone and Chari, Mayo-Sava, Mayo- Danay, Mayo-Tsanaga and Diamaré Division.

Please “Prevention is Better than cure” for Christ Sake… ..