“Training is vital for disaster management”: Strengthening Resilience to Natural Hazards in Western Province

Representatives from communities, provincial and district government, and more joined a Community-Based Disaster Risk Management training in Kiunga.

Funded by USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and co-delivered with Western Provincial Disaster Center, UN’s Migration Agency – International Organization for Migration (IOM) delivered a training on Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) in Kiunga town in Western Province.  

Community leaders embraced their commitment to mobilizing the local community to participate in the CBDRM process and creating an enabling environment for emerging champions of disaster preparedness, prevention, and mitigation; and supporting response and recovery.

“North Fly District in Western Province regularly experiences landslide, flood and drought and the CBDRM training is vital for disaster management starting at the community level,” highlighted Western Provincial Disaster Director, Mr. Philip Gasuat.

The CBDRM process prepares vulnerable and at-risk communities to collectively identify, analyze and better manage, disaster risks, promoting resilience to impacts of natural hazards. IOM’s CBDRM process places local communities at the heart of decision-making and implementation of disaster risk management activities, with technical support of local authorities and partners.

The training attracted 23 participants (18 men and 5 women) from the local communities, provincial and district government, and other stakeholders. Participants received training on CBDRM planning facilitation skills, including increasing their knowledge and skills in advancing disaster risk reduction initiatives at the local level.