Papua New Guinea has been ranked 10th out of 193 UN nations as the most disaster prone country in the world.
The acting director of the PNG National Disaster Centre, while opening the workshop on Comprehensive Hazards and Risk Management, challenged the participants to do their part to reduce that ranking by the United Nations World Risk Index.
Martin Mose said recent disasters in Papua New Guinea and globally highlight the extensive social and economic, financial, cultural and environmental impact from disasters and the many needs to help the community and small businesses, corporations in avoiding or reducing loss.
“When disasters happen, everything completely stops. This means, it sets back the economy and everything else. That is why you all play a very important role in the community.”
The workshop is organised and funded by the Government of PNG, UNDP and Australian Government and implemented by the University of Papua New Guinea.
Australian High Commission’s Darian Clark, while encouraging the participants, said this training is for their loved ones.
“That’s your family, that’s your community, that’s your home and they look to you when disaster strikes.”
The participants are mostly provincial disaster coordinators and provincial planners.
The Comprehensive Hazards and Risk Management or CHARM is a 14-week training offered by the University of Papua New Guinea.
It has been reduced to two weeks for the provincial disaster officers.
The workshop is to ensure participants understand the global, regional and natural context and framework on all disasters, with the view to develop their own policies and action plans at the provincial levels.
The objective of the training is to;
- Understand and review global, regional and national framework of disasters and risk management;
- Review the draft National Disaster Risk Management Framework 2017-2030 and commence the development of the action plan;
- Application of the framework of Comprehensive Hazards and Risk Management (CHARM);
- Learn new tools such as Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing/Satellite to support management and communications.
(Participants at today’s workshop)