By Precious D. Freeman
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), in partnership with the Action against Hunger and the Start Network, has launched the flood Anticipatory Alert Tool Project.
With funding from Action against Hunger, the project’s objective is to strengthen the flood anticipatory alert system, in coordination to provide accurate rainfall forecast information to raise timely alerts.
Giving the overview of the project, the program coordinator of Action against Hunger, Jacob F. Tengbeh, explained that the budget that was given to NDMA for the project is about US$51,000, with 3,500 people to benefit in ten slum communities in Monrovia.
According to him, the project’s importance is that it has at least three days between the warning to communities and the actual impact of the floods.
He added that the project will also enable NDMA to receive early warnings on potential floods and to send out timely alerts to the communities or reduce acute humanitarian impacts.
He emphasized that the National Disaster Management System used by NDMA is improved and allows for the visualization of information and data, and the anticipation of flood hazards.
“The national task force is empowered to improve coordination and enable timely decision making. Targeted communities and disaster management stakeholders are informed about the tool and empowered to anticipate and mitigate the impact of potentials floods, thanks to a pilot alert anticipation plan,” he said.
For his part, the Executive Director for the Disaster Management Agency, Henry O. Williams, appreciated its partners for the funding that was allocated for the project, and promised that it will be used for its intended purpose.
According to him, he appreciates the relationship between him and his partners, because this is not the first time that they have interacted, adding that it is the same format that they are following.
He explained that the funding that was provided by his partners is not for the use of NDMA, but for the use of the project, and that funds from others will also go towards the project.
Anticipatory action is a set of actions taken to prevent or mitigate potential disaster impact, before a shock or before acute impacts are felt.
