By: Saidu Jalloh
In a significant step toward decentralizing disaster risk management, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has successfully trained and established Chiefdom Disaster Management Committees (CDMCs) in 16 high-risk chiefdoms across Kono and Tonkolili Districts.
This initiative fulfills a key mandate outlined in Part V of the NDMA Act of 2020, which calls for the creation of disaster management committees at all levels of governance. These newly formed CDMCs will serve as first responders and community-level watchdogs, tasked with managing both natural and human-induced disasters.
Each CDMC is chaired by the Paramount Chief of the respective chiefdom, with an NDMA Chiefdom Coordinator serving as Secretary. The committees comprise a diverse mix of local stakeholders, including representatives from the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, Sierra Leone Police, Office of National Security, Red Cross Society, district councils, civil society organizations, youth and women’s groups, teachers, market women, and okada riders.
The training sessions were held in Koidu New Sembehun City, Tankoro Chiefdom (Kono District), and Magburaka Town (Tonkolili District), drawing strong participation from community members. Topics covered included hazard profiling, risk assessment, early warning systems, contingency planning, and risk communication.
Engineer Francis Maada Salia, NDMA’s Director of Risk Reduction and Preparedness, emphasized the value of community involvement: Risk knowledge empowers communities to implement tailored mitigation strategies.
Meanwhile, NDMA’s Chief of Operations, Kai Banyaa, acknowledged the critical support from UNDP in making the initiative possible. He noted that the 16 chiefdoms were selected based on comprehensive vulnerability assessments and local readiness indicators conducted by NDMA. He also reaffirmed the agency’s long-term goal of building an integrated national disaster response network.
The selected chiefdoms in Kono District include: Fiama, Gbane, Gbense, Kamara, Lei, Nimikoro, Nimiyama, and Tankoro. In Tonkolili District, they include:
Tans, Dansogoia, Kholifa, Kunike Fulawasu, Yele, Yoni Mamaili, Malal, and Kalanthuba.
Local leaders expressed strong support for the initiative. Paramount Chief Bai Kafari Sumbali II of Kunike Fulawasu emphasized the need to address environmental challenges such as deforestation, illegal mining, and bush burning. Meanwhile, Paramount Chief Paul Gaba Saquee V of Tankoro called for sustained technical support and logistical resources to ensure the effective functioning of the CDMCs.
This initiative represents a crucial step toward building resilience, promoting early action, and fostering a culture of preparedness in some of Sierra Leone’s most disaster-prone communities.