Documentation of best practices in disaster mitigation to start

KIDAPAWAN CITY -The documentation of case studies on the experiences, lessons, and good practices on disaster risk reduction and mitigation, especially in NorthCotabato, would begin soon. This as the signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) between two global organizations working in areas vulnerable to disasters took place in Makati City on May 27. Signatories to the MoA were Christopher John Lane, director for global operations of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA), and Javad Amoozegar, country director of the Action Against Hunger (ACF) International. The HLA is a global consortium of aid organizations that aims to help communities become more resilient in the face of disasters while ACF International is a global organization that works to save lives of severely malnourished people worldwide. The MoU highlights the development of cases studies with practical information on humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction and preparedness, climate change adaptation, recovery, resilience programming, and crisis-sensitive development. For one, the experiences of local community actions introduced in Arakan valley complex in North Cotabato, according to ACF, were considered ‘best practices’ in disaster mitigation. The municipality of Arakan situated in the mountain ranges of Mount Sinaka is considered one of the poorest in North Cotabato. Yet, several of its barangays were already declared ‘zero open-defecation’, through the Integrated Development Programming introduced by the ACF with support from the local government unit. Amoozegar said that in the Philippines, the ACF is implementing programs that directly result to reduced vulnerabilities and increased resilience of vulnerable people. The programs include nutrition water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) food security and livelihoods (FSL) and advocacy and governance. Amoozegar said that the cooperation agreement it signed with HLA represents a new space to establish links with other sectors on disaster risk management.”