IV. DISASTER MITIGATION REQUIRES 'SPIRIT of the LAW' APPLICATION
The Environment Times report by James Kamara states that Indigenous knowledge exists concerning natural disaster reduction in the country of Africa. This knowledge is stated to have a "high degree of acceptability amongst the majority of populations in which it has been preserved." (2004) the reason this is so is because these communities identify quickly and efficiently with scientific concepts of "environmental management including disaster prevention, preparedness response and mitigation." (Kamara, 2004) Indigenous culture makes structural changes proactively in shelter accommodations with "knowledge of storm routes and wind patterns." (Kamara, 2004) Furthermore the knowledge of "local rain corridors enables them to prepare for storms...knowing the color of clouds that carry hailstones enables people to run for cover." (Kamara, 2004) This is noted to have been an applied adaptation to progress made in the Disaster Management Act because of the actions of those applying the law. Application was in the: "...in the spirit of the law rather than the rule of the law" in meeting commitments of a constitutional nature in what are termed 'Integrated Disaster Plans' as set out in the Municipal Systems Act, 2000 applicable to all policy aspects relevant in the White Paper on Disaster Management (1999) in serving the communities during times of disaster.
SUMMARY and CONCLUSION
It is critically necessary that humanitarian relief efforts focus on a sustainable rebuilding effort for the communities affected by these disasters. Lives are being rebuilt and this should be placed upon a solid foundation in this initiative through first making proactive structural adjustments and in the effort of rebuilding there will not be nearly so much to replace and this is applicable because of the many superstorms to come for not only the Cape of South Africa but other urban places throughout the world that will face such dangers due to changes of the earth's climate at the present time. It is clear that common...
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