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Participation in APMCDRR 2024 Affirms UMS NDRC’s Commitment to Disaster Research and Management

 

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), through its Natural Disaster Research Centre (NDRC), strengthened its commitment to disaster research and management by participating in the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024 held at the Manila International Convention Center, Philippines.

The conference, organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in collaboration with the Philippine Government, was attended by NDRC UMS Director, Assoc. Prof. Ts. Gs. Dr. Carolyn M. Payus, as an official delegate representing Malaysia under the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), led by Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

According to Carolyn, NDRC’s involvement in this conference is vital for transferring disaster management knowledge and skills at the Asia Pacific level and for highlighting UMS’s research and international collaborations.

“Participation in APMCDRR 2024 strengthens the relationship between NDRC, UMS, and NADMA, while enhancing cross-country research collaborations in disaster risk management.

“This engagement also helps to update sectoral collaborations at the international level,” Carolyn explained.

She further emphasized that the four-day conference provided NDRC with the opportunity to share experiences and discuss disaster management strategies with other parties, especially regarding climate change issues.

“The plenary sessions, working sessions, and focus events also allowed participants to exchange ideas and explore innovative disaster risk reduction (DRR) approaches practiced by other countries.

“One of Malaysia’s initiatives highlighted at the conference was the implementation of Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) by the community in Mesilau, Kundasang, which has become a model for community-based disaster risk management in the country,” she said.

Also present were NADMA Director-General Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus; Deputy Commissioner (Management) of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, Dato’ Ismail Mohd Zawawi; and NDRC UMS Research Officer, Eldawaty Madran.