FBOs crucial partners in disaster management — NSDMA official

DIMAPUR — Additional Secretary of NSDMA Sentiyanger Aier on Monday said that faith based organisations (FBOs) have significant reach and positive influence in Naga society, making them an ideal partner for NSDMA to disseminate disaster risk reduction messages to the masses.

The additional secretary also emphasised that religious organisations play a vital role in promoting disaster preparedness, response, and recovery as they can leverage their platforms to spread crucial messages and contribute significantly during disasters.

Aier was delivering the keynote address at the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) observation, organised by the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) along with FBOs at the Capital Convention Centre in Kohima.

While FBOs already make valuable contributions in response and recovery phases, their potential can be further tapped to enhance preparedness and mitigation efforts, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to disaster management, he added.

He shared that the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction.

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Additionally, the additional secretary explained that the main objective of the workshop is to explore the role of FBOs in disaster mitigation, response and recovery.

The day was also marked by launching of the NSDMA weather monitoring portal by the additional secretary.

Developed by the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), the official weather portal-nsdmaweather.com serves as a centralized hub for real-time weather updates, early warning alerts, and climate-related insights, supporting informed decision-making for disaster preparedness and risk reduction across the state.

The portal operates under the umbrella of the Nagaland Centre for Disaster Management and Atmospheric Research (NaCDAR) — a dedicated research and monitoring initiative of NSDMA focused on enhancing disaster resilience and climate adaptation through data-driven strategies.

It provides location-specific meteorological information, early warning alerts, and climate trend analytics to support operational decision-making across sectors such as disaster management, agriculture, urban planning, and infrastructure development.

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Designed as a comprehensive interface for weather monitoring, forecasting, and hazard risk analysis, the portal integrates data from a network of automatic weather stations (AWS), satellite imagery, and GIS-based systems.

By leveraging advanced technologies such as automatic weather stations, satellite imagery, and GIS-based mapping, the portal aims to deliver accurate, timely, and location-specific information to government agencies, first responders, farmers, planners, and the general public.

The NSDMA Weather Portal is part of the state's broader vision to strengthen early warning systems, mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events, and build a safer, more climate-resilient Nagaland.

Dr. Johnny Ruangmei, Joint CEO NSDMA, gave a power point presentation on Corporate Alliance Resilient Nagaland (CARE) and a round table discussion on the topic ‘Building network & collaboration between FBOs and govt. organisations’ was moderated by Temsuwangshi Jamir, Asst. Manager (R&P) NSDMA.

Kepozo Peter Kapuh spoke on the topic ‘What faith based leaders can do for the next generation in the face of climate risk and building disaster resilience?’

A talk on basic first aid was also given by Kholie Dolf from IRCSN.

Vote of thanks was proposed by Keneizhatuo Kuotsu, while closing remarks was given by L Jonjibemo Odyuo, Asst. Manager (RR&M), NSDMA. The day-long program was chaired by Keren Rose, Asst. Manager NSDMA.