The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Male' City Council have held a training programme on accident and disaster preparation in Male' City.
The training programme is part of the Making Cities Resilient (MCR) 2030 campaign, initiated by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in major cities worldwide. The campaign addresses the challenges of responding to disasters and incidents, providing information on making cities resilient to such events.
The MCR 2030 campaign aims to enhance the capacity and preparedness of city councils to respond to and overcome disasters through community participation and an integrated institutional system. The campaign will design a resilience roadmap for the next 10 years, raising institutional awareness on disaster response and recovery, and setting the stage for implementing vigilant measures for cities and disasters. The campaign is also being conducted in collaboration with the NDMA and the Male' City Council.
Chief Executive of NDMA Hisan Hassan said that Male' can become disaster resilient through joint efforts of institutions and the community. He noted that the programme will provide information on disaster prevention and emergency measures, highlighting the importance of the MCR 2030 campaign in protecting citizens from disasters and preparing for emergencies.
Meanwhile, Mayor of Male' City Council Adam Azim noted the prevalence of natural disasters in the Maldives, such as floods, and stressed the need for collective efforts to mitigate the damage. As such, he said that the campaign will develop a roadmap and strategic plan to make Male' disaster resilient. He also said that they hope to conduct a preliminary resilience assessment for the city after the training programme.
The programme, held from July 21 to 22, provided information on the MCR 2030 campaign framework. It was attended by employees of the Male' City Council and disaster relief workers. In addition, a preliminary assessment of the city's resilience will be conducted, forming the basis for action plans aimed at increasing disaster preparedness.