Recognizing their shared vulnerabilities to natural disasters, the Disaster Risk Management Division of Seychelles and the Bureau National de Gestion de Risques et de Catastrophes (BNGRC) in Madagascar launched an internship program aimed at fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange as two Indian Ocean Island nation. This initiative is part of the Indian Ocean Commission’s Resilience Building and Disaster Response Management in the Indian Ocean (RDRM_IO), designed to enhance disaster risk management capabilities and promote best practices between the two nations.
The overall goal of this internship is to equip participants with the skills necessary to develop or update contingency plans for various natural hazards, particularly flooding. By enhancing coordination and facilitating experience exchange, the program aims to strengthen community resilience to natural disaster risks in both Seychelles and Madagascar.
During the opening week of the internship, participants Mr. Henry Moustache, Disaster Risk Management Officer, and Mr. Gabriel Payet, Response Officer from the National Emergency Operations Center, were joined by the Director General of the Disaster Risk Management Division. They attended an opening ceremony followed by visits to key institutions, including the Deputy General Directorate of Madagascar and various emergency management facilities. These visits facilitated an understanding of Madagascar’s disaster preparedness infrastructure.
The participants engaged in several training sessions focused on the various natural and industrial hazards specific to Madagascar, including cyclones, floods, landslides, bushfires, and droughts. They also received trainings on disaster risk governance and the meteorological impacts associated with these hazards.
In addition to the theorical learning, the internship included site visits to organizations such as the Authority for the Protection Against Floods of the Plain of Antananarivo (AP|PA), the Institute and Observatory of Geophysics of Antananarivo (IOGA), and the Civil Protection Corps (CPC). These visits provided practical insights into the operations and challenges faced in disaster risk management.
This project was financed by the European Union and implemented by COI, United Nations office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and Plateforme d’Intervention Régionale de l’Océan Indien (PIROI).
