UNDP, NDMA Strengthen Community Disaster Management in Moyamba and Bonthe

In a bid to enhance local disaster preparedness, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), has rolled out seminars on the dissemination of the NDMA Act 2022 for Community Disaster Management Committee (CDMC) members in Moyamba and Bonthe Districts.

The seminars aimed to raise awareness and strengthen local structures for disaster risk reduction and management. Discussions covered the rationale and legal framework of the NDMA Act 2022, the role of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, NDMA’s decentralization efforts and engagement at the chiefdom level, as well as the core functions of CDMCs in prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Participants demonstrated strong engagement, particularly in areas of information-sharing, reporting channels, and collaborative approaches. Many shared experiences of responding to past disasters in the absence of formal structures, highlighting both their resilience and the need for structured partnerships with NDMA.

The initiative successfully deepened participants’ understanding of the NDMA Act 2022, promoted community ownership of disaster preparedness, and reinforced the foundation for resilient, people-centered approaches at the chiefdom level.