U.S. Partners With National Disaster’s Management
By Godgift Harris
The United States Government, through the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC Global), has partnered with Liberia National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA).
The partnership is to begin planning the National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment (NDPBA); a major initiative to strengthen the country’s resilience against disasters.
The partnership marks another milestone in the long-standing cooperation between Liberia, and the United States, reflecting a shared commitment to improve disaster preparedness, emergency response, and national resilience through modern planning, and data-driven decision-making.
During preliminary discussions with officials of the Pacific Disaster Center, NDMA Executive Director, Ansu V.S. Dulleh, described the initiative as a critical step to enhance the disaster management system.
Dulleh said, the assessment will build the capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from both natural, and man-made disasters.
Dulleh: “NDPBA will provide valuable information that will guide government institutions, and partners in making informed decisions on disaster risk management while strengthening national preparedness efforts.”
The project is designed to promote risk-informed decision-making through evidence-based data collection, and advanced analytics.
It also seeks to improve coordination among government institutions, and development partners responsible for disaster prevention, and emergency response.
The initiative is expected to enhance disaster monitoring systems while supporting disaster risk reduction programs that will better protect lives, communities, and some national infrastructure.
Officials noted that improved coordination, and access to reliable disaster data will enable the government to respond effectively to emergencies, reduce vulnerabilities, and build stronger community resilience in the face of climate-related, and other disaster risks.
The planning meeting, held over the weekend at the Agency headquarters in Monrovia, brought together officials from the NDMA, and representatives of the Pacific Disaster Center to outline the roadmap for implementing the assessment.
