National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) was established by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
as per the Disaster Management Act (28/2015) on 30 December 2018. With this,
all staff, assets, ongoing work etc. of NDMC has been transferred to NDMA.
Currently, NDMA is
carrying out a more holistic model, wherein the processes of hazard
identification and mitigation, community preparedness, integrated response
efforts, and recovery are planned for and undertaken contiguously within a risk
management context to address issues of vulnerability.
As the main coordinating
body for disaster management activities at the national level, the portfolio of
NDMC is ever increasing. We have an active advocacy role, by implementing risk
reduction activities at community level and in the private sector. Our goal is
to make disaster preparedness a national priority.
One of the most
important objectives of NDMA is to mainstream disaster risk reduction
at the national level. This includes planning processes, establishing agreed
standards, developing procedures and policies. This work is guided by the
National Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction Framework. Several other
documents and processes are in development or have already been
institutionalized, including the Relief Guideline, Framework for managing
internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the National Emergency Operations Plan
(NEOP). Significant internal re-structuring has taken place to meet the demands
of a changing social climate and environment. Work is underway to establish a
modern and well-equipped Emergency Operations Center at NDMC.
Much of the work
at NDMA is made possible through its partnership with international
technical bodies and donor agencies. Particularly of note are the projects
being funded by UNDP, UNICEF, UNISDR and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
(ADPC). We have also received training opportunities from SAARC, UNESCAP, Asian
Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), MERCY Malaysia and several other
organizations.
Disaster risk reduction is everyone’s
responsibility. Let us work together to make Maldives a disaster resilient
country.