Local disaster committees, with support from
Mozambique Red Cross Society community volunteers,
work with communities to map local resources and
identify real and perceived risks and traditional coping
mechanisms. The committees are responsible for alerting
and preparing communities to face hazardous weather
conditions through an early warning system. Radios4
distributed to committee members play a key role,
ensuring access to the government cyclone early warning
system5, established in November 2002, whereby radio
broadcasts alert audiences to cyclones building up
east of Mozambique. Committee members are also
provided with information materials that describe the
government-endorsed early warning system. The system
uses a series of three colours to indicate the proximity of
the cyclones: blue – approaching within 24–48 hours;
yellow – within 24 hours; red – within 6 hours. Posters
are available to advise committee members on how to
effectively communicate weather alerts to the wider
community. Emergency response kits, consisting of
whistles, megaphones, life-jackets (in case of flooding)
and other basic emergency response materials are
positioned in communities and placed under the
responsibility of the community leaders.