Workshop to review and to boost Tonga’s readiness for natural disasters Featured
CEO for MEIDECC Paula Ma'u with the participating members of the workshop
29 Octobe,r 2018. The CEO for MEIDECC Mr. Paula Pouvalu Ma’u opened a one-day multi-stakeholder After Action Review (AAR) last week at Tanoa International Dateline Hotel.
The workshop aims to review and capture the perspectives of stakeholders on Disaster Risk Management (DRM) arrangements and to highlight and synthesize lessons learned to strengthen the performance and efficiency of Tonga’s preparedness.
Participants will also share experiences, lessons learned and look at ways of how to incorporate the lessons into the national planning processes, line ministries and agencies.
Mr. Ma’u told participants that he hoped the “multi-stakeholder after action review today will bring together the success stories, challenges, experiences and good practices of a range of stakeholders and different clusters to inform the key findings and conclusions to document our progress and develop the way forward for any disaster in the future.”
The workshop is funded by the UNDP in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Office under the Ministry of MEIDECC.
- MEIDECC
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Community involvement is essential . To build a resilient society with the appropriate coping mechanisms is the basic in disaster management preparedness .When disaster strikes , its of the utmost importance how people respond and co ordinate during an emergency be it a flood , earthquake or hurricane , tsunami , being prepared is essential to minimize damage and lose of lives . Vulnerable communities are the key stakeholders in disaster management , The most essential determinant of the selection of the disaster on which system should focus is the geographical location of such communities .
An example would be coastal villages need to be educated and be prepared for the possibility of a tsunami inland communities to be aware of flooding and mudslide from early warning system . Local Government should be aware of the hazards which each communities are exposed to , and should be actively involved in designing and upkeep of early warning systems . It should also have the means by which to enable it to instruct and engage the local population in a manner that increases their safety and reduce the potential loss of resources which communities rely on . National Government should make sure that warnings and appropriate responses are directed towards the most vulnerable through working together as a whole to address the specific needs of individual's and the national economy . " FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED " .