IOM Promotes Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction in East New Britain

The United Nations Migration Agency, International Organization for Migration (IOM) delivered a 5-day Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) training of trainers in Kokopo, East New Britain Province (ENBP).

The training provided participant trainers with an in-depth understanding of Community-based Planning (CBP) and the CBDRM approach.  Trainees developed facilitation skills and capacity to implement multi-stakeholder principles and steps in the application of the CBP/CBDRM methodology and develop roll-out strategies for local government officials and vulnerable communities to apply CPB/CBDRM at the district, ward and community level.

Funded by USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID-BHA), the training was conducted at Gazelle International Hotel from 5-9 July 2021. Participants included government and its stakeholder agencies, councilors, and leaders of vulnerable communities around ENBP. A total of 33 participants (20 men and 13 women) were selected from communities relocated following the Vulcan and Tavurvur volcano eruptions and other at-risk communities in the Rabaul, Pomio and Kokopo Districts.

The CBP/CBDRM methodology promotes whole of community participation to identify natural hazards, analyze, and reduce risks, establish early warning systems, and implement community development activities aimed at mitigating risk and building resilience.

East New Britain Deputy Provincial Administrator, Mr. Marakana Uvano, officiated the opening of the training and challenged the participants to begin assessing their community capacities and developing community disaster risk reduction plans. He added "There is a need for the ENB provincial government to review disaster policy frameworks to align with provincial disaster risk management plans and standard operating procedures, and the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework."

The Provincial Disaster Director, Mr. Donald Tokunai commended IOM for the continued partnership and CBDRM program intervention in the province. "The training will enhance their capacity and help build confidence in mitigating disasters at all levels of governance and communities in ENB," he said.