By Joseph Momoh, Reporter D.S
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has successfully established and trained Chiefdom Disaster Management Committees (CDMCs) across 16 chiefdoms in Kono and Tonkolili districts. This initiative aims to enhance local disaster management capabilities and is rooted in Part V of the NDMA’s Act of 2020, which mandates the formation of disaster committees at all administrative levels.
Each CDMC is chaired by the Paramount Chief of the chiefdom, with an NDMA Chiefdom Coordinator serving as Secretary. Members include representatives from the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, Sierra Leone Police, Office of National Security, Red Cross Society, District Councils, civil society, youth and women’s groups, teachers, market women, and okada riders.
Training sessions, hosted in Koidu New Sembehun City and Magburka Town, attracted significant community participation and focused on critical disaster management components, including risk assessments, hazard profiling, early warning systems, contingency planning, and risk communication.
Engineer Francis Maada Salia, Director of Risk Reduction and Preparedness at NDMA, emphasized the importance of local knowledge in disaster prevention. “Risk knowledge empowers communities to implement tailored mitigation strategies,” he stated.
Kai Banyaa, NDMA’s Chief of Operations, expressed gratitude to UNDP for their support and noted that the selected chiefdoms were identified based on vulnerability assessments and community readiness conducted by the NDMA. He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to integrating all communities into the national disaster response framework.
The participating chiefdoms in Kono include Fiama, Gbane, Gbense, Kamara, Lei, Nimikoro, Nimiyama, and Tankoro. In Tonkolili, they include Tans, Dansogoia, Kholifa, Kunike Fulawasu, Yele, YoniYoni Mamaili, Malal, and Kalanthuba.
Traditional leaders welcomed the initiative, with Paramount Chief Bai Kafari Sumbali II of Kunike Fulawasu highlighting the need to address deforestation, illegal mining, and bush burning. Similarly, Paramount Chief Paul Gaba Saquee of Tankoro called for ongoing technical support and resources to strengthen CDMC operations at the local level.
This initiative marks a significant step in building community resilience and fostering a proactive culture of disaster preparedness across Sierra Leone, positioning CDMCs as vital actors in the country’s broader disaster risk management framework.
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