Jorhat hosts consultation on Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS)

A CORRESPONDENT

JORHAT: A multi-stakeholder consultation on the Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) was organized on Friday by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Jorhat in collaboration with the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) on existing innovations and tools developed by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) for disaster-related early warning. Participants were invited to provide feedback and suggestions to improve community acceptance and strengthen anticipatory and early actions to reduce disaster-induced losses and damages.

The workshop was moderated by Additional Deputy Commissioner Sajib Das, while Manoj Kumar Baruah graced the occasion and emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts between government institutions, civil society organizations, and communities to enhance disaster preparedness and response at the district level.

The programme began with a welcome address by Ronney P Rajkumar, who introduced the objectives of the consultation. Anand Prokash Kanoo set the context of the workshop, highlighting the importance of inclusive, community-centric early warning systems to ensure timely preparedness and response.

Tirtha Prasad Saikia presented findings and recommendations from community-level consultations on MHEWS conducted in vulnerable areas, emphasizing the need to incorporate local knowledge and grassroots experiences for more effective and accessible early warning systems.

Biren Baishya shared insights on initiatives undertaken by ASDMA to strengthen district- and community-level MHEWS in Jorhat, focusing on technological innovations, improved data management, and coordinated institutional efforts.

The session on the way forward and open discussion was facilitated by Deborah Sangma.

Also Read: Centre Starts Research to Develop Earthquake Early Warning System