Disaster Risk Reduction is front line tool - NDMA boss

The Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Mr. Essa Khan has said that disaster risk reduction is a front line tool for climatic adaptation.

Mr. Khan, who was speaking in an interview with this reporter on Tuesday said government cannot provide all the resources, and thus called on his agency staff to be innovative and creative to be able to mobilise resources at their disposal.

According to Khan, his agency has made a detailed presentation on some of the achievements his agency has registered. Among them, he said the recruitment of regional disaster management co-ordinators, restructuring of regional disaster management committees and creation of ward or district disaster management committees.

He disclosed that his agency has developed some monitoring tools and standardised a rapid assessment format which his agency can use together with their partners.

Mr. Khan said the Vice-President was also informed about the ongoing activities with the development of the national contingency plan, development of the NDMA logo, to enhance their partnership with some of the institutions in due execution of their duties.

NDMA boss said he had informed the Vice-President about development of a four-year integrated programme, called disaster risk and climate risk management for The Gambia from the period 2010-2013, and noted that it is a very innovative programme.

He also underscored the importance of the media in disaster control and management in the country, noting that without involving the media, his agency would find it difficult when it comes to disaster reporting. He said during the 2009 floods, the media had played a very important role.

He then called on his regional disaster management co-ordinators across the country to be committed and work hard towards achieving measurable results by developing realistic work plans. He also tasked his co-ordinators to always encourage partnership and develop monitoring tools so as to monitor and implement their activities on the ground.     

He said during their sectoral meeting with the Vice-President, all the heads of the existing sectors had made proper presentation of their activities, what they had achieved and also shared their reports among themselves.