Africa-Press – Seychelles. The IOC and the Australian humanitarian agency “RedR” formalize their collaboration
The Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and the Australian humanitarian agency “RedR” are joining forces and expertise to strengthen regional capacities to adapt to natural disasters affecting the South West basin of the ocean. Indian.
It was during a ceremony at the IOC headquarters in Ebène (Mauritius) that the two entities formalized their collaboration aimed at making use of their expertise in favor of climate resilience and disaster risk reduction. This ceremony was an opportunity to present the common intervention logic in support of the Member States of the IOC.
“Climate change is one of the main challenges impacting the sustainable development of island states. It is important to build the resilience of communities in the region. Through this partnership with RedR Australia, we hope to strengthen the capacity of IOC Member States to prepare for and respond to emergencies. It will complement the ongoing initiatives and existing partnerships of the IOC on climate change and disaster risk reduction”, underlined Ms Gina Bonne, IOC Environment and Climate Officer.This first partnership with the Australian agency “RedR*” will focus mainly on climate risks related to infrastructure and the urbanization of the islands (floods, etc.). The Australian humanitarian agency “RedR” will thus support the IOC for the benefit of Member States, mainly through the sharing of good practices, in particular to better prepare for possible disasters. With this new agreement, the commitment of the Australian government will materialize through the deployment of an expert in the region.
The objectives are to consolidate climate action plans, strengthen community resilience and integrate adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change into public land-use planning policies. “Australia recognizes the unique vulnerability of the Indian Ocean islands to the impacts of climate change, in particular the increased risk of natural disasters. We are pleased that this partnership between RedR Australia and the IOC strengthens IOC member countries’ disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts,” said Ms. Helena Derwash, Regional Manager at RedRAustralia.
Indianoceania is the third region of the world most exposed to natural hazards, which has a growing impact on human health, food security, infrastructure… With climate change, natural disasters are on the rise and tackling them requires joint effort and coordinated action. This collaboration is thus complementary to the ongoing initiatives carried out by the IOC, in particular the RDRM-IO project aimed at reducing the risks of natural disasters in the Indian Ocean, financed by the European Union or the actions carried out through the activities of the epidemiological surveillance and alert management network: the SEGA – One Health network, a regional health cooperation platform supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union.RedR is an international humanitarian agency that selects, trains and deploys technical specialists. RedR implements the Australia assists program, funded by the Australian government, which aims to save lives and alleviate suffering by building resilience to disasters and conflicts.
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