The recent tragic KwaZulu-Natal floods exposed the country’s vulnerability and lack of capacity to deal with national disasters, even when scientific warnings were so evident. We commiserate with families as they rebuild their lives. We should reimagine more plausible, effective and sustainable risk management strategies informed by scientific intelligence to circumvent recurrences.

There are concerns about the country’s capacity and capabilities to leverage on existing state advisory commissions like the Presidential Commission on Climate and other statutory bodies tasked with national advisory responsibilities. Responses to these concerns are nuanced and need further interrogation to confluence the discourse towards institutionalising efficacious and sustainable disaster management policies and strategies...