Village women learn disaster risk reduction

Workshop trains community leaders in planning, interaction for preparedness

KARACHI/HYDERABAD:

Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) organised a three-day training session on disaster risk reduction for female community champions from 18 villages in the district of Thatta.

This training, held in collaboration with Pathfinder International under the Surmi project, covered crucial topics such as disaster risk reduction, vulnerability and capacity assessment, risk mapping, developing disaster risk reduction plans, and community interaction for preparedness.

The training concluded with a certification ceremony, attended by the Dr Rehana, coordinator for Mother and Child Care at the district health department Thatta, Muhammad Bux Khalsheli from Pathfinder International and Javed Hussain, the executive director and Humera Ali project manager of SCF.

Javed Hussain, an environmentalist and disaster risk reduction expert, highlighted the severe vulnerability of Thatta district to climate change and disasters. He emphasised the significant impact on the lives and socio-economic conditions of the people and stressed the need to build the community's capacity to cope with climate crises and manage disaster shocks. He pointed out that community-based disaster risk reduction leads to better-prepared communities.

Dr Rehana shared that according to a report, Thatta district has the second-highest rate of malnutrition, severely affecting women's health due to climate crises and disasters. She mentioned that poverty and environmental degradation are contributing factors to malnutrition, which also impacts the health of women and girls in coastal areas. During crises, this situation worsens. A female community champion, Hawal, expressed her gratitude, stating, "We learned a lot from this training, and it will help us better prepare our communities for future disasters.