Disaster management is everybody’s business: NDMA official

The issue of disaster management is everybody’s business, no one is exempted, for it is only by putting all hands on deck that we can be able to mitigate the risk of disasters, the assistant administration officer of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has said.

Mbassi Sanneh was speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation for the Gambia College chapter of the Ambassadors of Disaster Risk Reduction (ADRR).

The event, held at the Gambia College campus in Brikama, was jointly organised by the ADRR college chapter and the NDMA.

The training was meant to empower the young people to participate in disaster management and mitigation.

Ms Mbassi Sanneh said disaster management and climate change is everybody’s business, adding that even though the NDMA is the national body mandated to tackle disasters the institution alone cannot do it. 

She said the involvement of youth groups like ADRR is an added advantage to the fight against disaster and climate change.

Ms Sanneh said to reach out and clarify information on disaster risk reduction, the NDMA has created a social media platform where anyone can access and ask any question pertaining to disaster management.  The questions are clearly answered by officials of the NDMA as soon as possible, she said.

The chairman of the ADRR, Sulayman Jawo, said the training is good as it as has helped members of ADRR to interact and share experience through the learning process.