ASDMA, UNICEF hold workshop on disaster management at NEDFi Conference Hall

GUWAHATI: The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), in collaboration with UNICEF, has organized a two-day State-level workshop at the NEDFi Conference Hall here for consultation on adapting DDMP (District Disaster Management Plan) Framework for Assam based on the learning from COVID-19 and DRR (Disaster Risk Reduction) Roadmap, stated a press release.

The inaugural session of the workshop was addressed by Avinash Joshi, Principal Secretary to Revenue & DM Department; Dr Madhulika Jonathon, Chief Field Office, UNICEF, Assam; Chinmoy Nath, Deputy CEO, ASDMA and Alakananda Medhi, SPC, ASDMA.

The workshop was organized for the DPOs and the field officers with an objective to dive deep on reviewing and adapting a State-specific planning framework for DDMPs for making them implementable and agreeing on standard monitoring and reporting mechanism.

Section 31 of the DM Act 2005 makes it mandatory for every district to prepare a disaster management plan, for the protection of life and property from the effects of hazardous events within the district. In the context of Assam, DDMPs are in place in most of the districts and are supposed to be a major decision support tool for disaster resilience and response. ASDMA and UNICEF have collaborated to review and strengthen the overall planning process, quality and adequacy of the plan document and their implementation, reporting and monitoring.

Welcoming the participants, Chinmoy Nath highlighted the recent initiatives of ASDMA and the important role of DDMAs in strengthening the disaster management regime. He requested the participants to make best use of this opportunity to brainstorm and agree on actions that can make DDMPs effective and useful

Addressing the workshop, Dr Madhulika Jonathan stated, "DDMPs can be the key in reducing the impact of disasters on vulnerable children, women and their families. If they factor in the need for continuity of essential services such as health, education, water and sanitation, among others, the multi-fold economic impact of disasters, especially on marginalized communities, can be curtailed. Therefore, DDMPs need to be linked to the overall State DRR Roadmap and contribute towards risk informed sustainable development".

In his keynote address, Avinash Joshi emphasized upon strengthening the linkage between planning, implementation and monitoring. He elaborated on his experience and learning from Gujarat earthquake in 2001 and pointed towards the evolution of disaster risk management system in the State. He appreciated the DPOs and Field Officers for continuously striving to provide better coordination and support to line departments. He also appreciated UNICEF for supporting many initiatives to strengthen disaster management systems in the state.

The official vote of thanks was proposed by Alaknanda Medhi. The workshop is being facilitated by experts from National Institute of Disaster Management, Government of India, ASDMA, UNICEF and Sphere India. At the end of the workshop, it is expected that clear action points will be agreed for improving the quality and implementation as well as reporting on the District Disaster Management Plans.

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