Disasters are everybody’s business

DISASTERS, man-made or natural, are everybody’s business and that means people need to be aware and know how to manage them.
National Disaster Centre acting director Martin Mose said preparedness was an important disaster management issue which must be taught in primary schools and as a university course.
Speaking at the signing of the annual work plan for the centre with the United Nations Development Programme, Mr Mose stressed that it was important the people knew what to do before, during and after any disaster because of the displacement of people.
The work plan outlines activities which the centre, in partnership with the UNDP, aims at strengthening response and preparedness mechanisms with and within the Government and development partner communities.
One of the top priority activities is the training and capacity building of the provincial disaster centres in Oro and Eastern Highlands provinces and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ARB) for tangible risk
reduction activities.
“These are given top priority due to the active Mt Lamington volcano and floods in Oro, landslides and floods in EHP and conflict resolutions for both ARB and EHP.