Policy implementation: Assessing institutional coordination and communication for flood warning in Namibia

An effective institutional coordination and communication are essential determinants of community disaster resilience capacities and successful execution of disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies. Several international agreements endorse adopting consolidated, decentralised, participatory approaches to manage hydrometeorological hazards. Yet, the capacity of local governments to develop and implement effective disaster risk reduction strategies remains inconsistent and relatively unknown. In its quest to achieve sustainable economic development, Namibia has developed a DRR legislative framework and enlisted a central body to execute the strategic policy for disaster disruption mitigation and national resilience building. This study adopts a qualitative case study approach to assess the role of the central disaster risk management institution in establishing effective institutional coordination and communication structures for successful flood early warning system operations. Based on its legislative mandate, the study presents a hierarchically contextualised account of the institutions’ empirical progress in DRR streamlining. Contribution: The study identifies bureaucracy, limited institutional capacities, inadequate funding and response and relief prioritisation as major challenges to system efficacy. It provides directives for better institutional coordination and communication to reduce future harm.