Workshop Stresses Stronger Grassroots Communication for Disaster Preparedness
Focus on women, children and vulnerable groups for better preparedness
Vijayawada: A workshop organised jointly by the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) and UNICEF in Vijayawada on Friday called for strengthening the dissemination of disaster-related information to grassroots communities to improve preparedness and response mechanisms.
The two-day workshop on Risk Communication and Community Engagement for Disaster Risk Reduction in Andhra Pradesh concluded on Friday, with special focus on women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and other high-risk groups. Participants emphasised the need to ensure that social and behaviour change communication tools developed by the National Institute of Disaster Management reach the last mile.
APSDMA managing director Prakhar Jain said effective disaster risk reduction required strong communication planning, community engagement, trust-building, behavioural analysis and feedback mechanisms across all phases of disaster management.
UNICEF specialist Seema explained the principles of disaster risk reduction, inclusive community planning and people-centric disaster response approaches.
Experts at the workshop also underlined the roles and responsibilities of government departments, field-level staff and civil society organisations in strengthening disaster preparedness and response systems.