By Lamin Fatty
The URR office of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has engaged the people of Kolibantang village in Wull West about the development of strategic community disaster risk mitigation action plan.
The three-day engagement which started last Sunday 24th November 2024, ended on Tuesday 26th November 2024. The event brought together community leaders and MDFTs within the area amid the development of an action plan for disaster risk mitigation.
While speaking to Foroyaa, NDMA’s regional coordinator for URR, Mr. Lamin Fatty, said Kolibantang is a hotspot as far as flash floods are concerned and has been identified by the NDMA as one of the most vulnerable communities to disasters associated with flooding in the URR. Based on this, he added that the NDMA decided to train residents on the development of such an action plan for the community to be able to identify all the risks and hazards that they are currently living with.
Fatty added that the plan will be developed and shared with partners on what is best for them to mitigate against and how.
Binta Sey Jadama, senior program officer with the NDMA, said the objective of the three-day program which is funded by the UNDP and the Department of Community Development, is to enhance the resilience of the community of Kolibantang as a flood-prone community in URR.
“We have learned that Kolibantang is a flood-prone community. However, according to the people, the recent situation they are in today was triggered by the construction of the new road. We all know that in any development there must be a disadvantage and this may be the case for Kolibantang,” she said.
Ms. Jadama also disclosed that they are renewing a regional contingency plan of URR which is due for renewal in December.
Faidy Marena, a community elder in Kolibantang, and Soul Demba, the lady president of the village, both commended NDMA’s Basse office for coming up with such an initiative.
