Belém Monteiro, Vice President of the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) said on the occasion that “disaster risk management and reduction requires good building policy, good land use planning, better early warning systems, good environmental management and evacuation plans and, above all, education.” 

Sandra Roque, Head of the UN Habitat Mozambique Office, said that the organization believes that the efforts of the Government of Mozambique and partners to improve the quality of life of populations in disaster risk areas will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. “These efforts,” she added “embrace inclusive and participatory approaches that put people at the center of the processes of planning and of implementing resilience actions, leaving no one behind.” 

The ceremony was also honored by the presence of the National Representative of OXFAM, the Executive Director of the Regional Technical Center for Disaster Risk Management, Sustainability and Urban Resilience for Southern Africa (DiMSUR), the Mayor of Chókwe, the Head of Cooperation of the Belgian Embassy in Mozambique, as well as senior staff from the Ministry of Land and Environment (MTA) and Mozambique’s National Meteorological Institute (INAMM).