By Nasratu Kargbo
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and its partners have launched a Terminology Application to aid the public understand disaster-related terms.
The Director of Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness at NDMA, Thomas Lebbie told Politico that the App was created to inform citizens on things that they ought to do and not do.
He stated the information in the App would help citizens to be more informed on what to do and how to protect themselves when a disaster occurs.
Lebbie said that they decided to create an App that has audio in five different languages in order to cater for the illiterate, stating that they had earlier created a dictionary that was translated into local dialects but realized that some people cannot read.
He stated that the system can also be useful for journalists in order for them to use the right words in the right places whilst writing disaster stories.
When asked about their plans to handle disaster issues , he explained that they have taken mitigation measures in Freetown and cited having cleared the waterways and educated people on how to take care of their waste at Regent, Jeremiah Street.
He called on the public to stop the rapid deforestation, noting that it has a negative effect on the environment such as exposing the hills to landslides, reducing the ecosystem services that the forest provides, t erosion from the hills that brings so much debris onto the streets, among others.
Lebbie said the government established the agency to protect the citizens’ lives, property, and all social services that support the day-to-day running of the government and the well-being of the people.
The Director said the information can be accessed in five of the most spoken languages in the country: Krio, Mende, Temne, Limba, and Kono.
Clifford Metzger from Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) said a year ago, they were part of the launch of the first disaster risk reduction dictionary, noting that they now introduced the mobile application through which they aim to reach more than they did with the dictionary.
“Communication of all sorts is important, it is even more important when lives are being saved because they have access to the right information,” Metzger said.
He assured of their commitment to improving the functionality of the application to make it more user-friendly. He added that they intend to partner with the agency and UNDP to conduct a nationwide assessment of climate and disaster risk, stressing that findings from the assessment will help NDMA and the government to make informed- decisions on climate change issues.
The DRR terminology App is on Google Play Store but not yet on App Store for iPhone users.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (16/06/23)
