Vilufushi to get disaster management plan as NDMA opens five-day community workshop

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has begun a five-day working meeting in Th. Vilufushi today to develop the island’s Disaster Management Plan and train community emergency response teams. The first three days of the meeting, running from the 18th to the 22nd of this month, are dedicated to preparing the Island Disaster Management Plan (IDMP). The plan is being developed with the participation of the Vilufushi Council, institutions based on the island, and members of the public. NDMA’s Director of Programs, Research and Advocacy, Hassan Ziyaau, said having a disaster management plan was important. He said NDMA is working to prepare plans for all islands, reduce disaster risk at island level, and build communities that are prepared and resilient to disasters. The final two days of the meeting are set aside for forming and training a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). According to NDMA, the meeting is held under its flagship Community-Based Resilience Building (CBRB) Programme, following the revision of the Community-Based Resilience Building Framework. More than 40 people, including members of the Vilufushi Council, island institutions and the public, are taking part in the initiative. The programme is carried out with the support of UNICEF Maldives. NDMA said it is expanding similar efforts to other islands, and recently carried out work to develop a similar plan in Guraidhoo.