Situated within inland flood plains of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB), the Lanku and Totaku wards located in Central and South Bougainville are prone to natural hazards.
Due to their susceptibility to natural hazards, remoteness and limited preparedness capacities, the Lanku and Totaku wards are being supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) through resilience-building interventions.
This included disaster management trainings, disaster awareness and drills, as well as technical and material assistance to develop and implement disaster risk management plans.
It was during the community-level planning facilitated by IOM and local authorities when the majority of Lanku and Totaku community members highlighted water scarcity and the need to improve access to safe drinking water.
IOM, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and working in partnership with AROB’s Department of Community Government and District Affairs, and Disaster and Emergency Office, supplied Lanku and Totaku wards with water tanks and the relevant fittings to help improve people’s access to safe drinking water.
Transportation of the water tanks and fittings to Lanku and Totaku was facilitated by Autonomous Bougainville Government, and community members will provide local resources such as sand, stones and labour to construct the water points.
Baubake Community Government’s Deputy Chairperson, Peter Minaka, welcomed the material highlighting, “This assistance will help alleviate water scarcity and problems such as disease outbreaks caused by drinking contaminated water.”
IOM’s disaster risk management interventions are empowering several communities to take an active role in mitigating disaster risks and driving sustainable development at the local level.