Stakeholders learn more about disaster risk reduction |08 September 2017

The Red Cross Society of Seychelles conducted a workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) yesterday at its headquarters at Providence.

The one-day workshop saw the participation of different community-based organisations in the likes of Sustainability for Seychelles (S4S), Programme Coordination Unit, Watershed Community and Small Grants Programmes, as well as Red Cross volunteers.

The objectives of the workshop were to increase participants awareness on disasters that usually affect Seychelles, help them better identify the most common hazards that can lead to disasters, understand the concept of disaster risk reduction and identify characteristics of safer and resilient communities.

In essence the workshop is the first phase in the “Towards Safer and Resilient Community” project which is being funded and supported by the European Union (EU) and the Platforme d’Intervention Régionale Océan Indien (PIROI).

Earlier before the session started Barbara Carolus André, the project manager, said those taking part would receive an aperçu on the types of disasters that are prone to occur in Seychelles and how they can be dealt with.

To facilitate this, representative from the Department of Risk and Disaster Management (DRDM) gave a detailed presentation on the topic of disasters specific to the Seychelles.

Mrs Carolus André explained that this theoretical workshop is important because it will give the community-based volunteers the knowledge to better understand how and why a disaster happens, and also how to prevent them.

“A disaster does not just occur, it builds up. It can be natural or man-made but there is this build up and we have to know and identify the factors that can cause a disaster.”

As to the question of if a similar workshop will also be conducted on Praslin and La Digue Mrs Carolus André said there is great possibility because these islands have their own specifications in terms of the type of disasters they are prone to have.

The project also caters for a second, more practical workshop where the participants will learn how to educate the public and various methods to avoid, or at least lessen the impact, of a disaster.

After these workshops the Red Cross society and its volunteers will be setting up kiosks in some communities to further educate the populace on disaster risk reduction.

The project will end in December, the wettest periods of the year which usually comes with disasters such as inundation and rock falls.

Yesterday’s workshop in full swing