HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, Aug 14: A two-day workshop on community-led disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response in the context of floods and river erosion in Assam concluded on Thursday at the Vikshan Conference Hall of Dibrugarh University.
The programme, held on August 13–14, was organised by the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) in collaboration with the Centre for Social Work Studies, Dibrugarh University, and supported by the Start Network.
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Around 30 participants attended, including representatives of community-based organisations, humanitarian and development civil society organisations, flood and erosion-affected community members along the Brahmaputra, youth leaders, women’s groups, social work students and academia.
In his inaugural remarks, NEADS Director Tirtha Prasad Saikia stressed the need for community-led approaches to disaster preparedness and advocacy in view of Assam’s recurring floods and riverbank erosion.
Dr Manuj Dutta, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Social Work Studies, welcomed the participants.
Technical sessions featured Rural Volunteers Centre Director Luit Goswami, Inter Agency Group–Dhemaji Chairperson Rajen Saikia and Inter-Agency Group–Assam State Coordinator Deborah Sangma, who discussed grassroots resilience, emergency coordination and strategies for influencing policy change.
According to the organisers, the workshop enhanced understanding of localised disaster risks, strengthened community capacities in disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response, improved stakeholder coordination and led to the development of advocacy plans aimed at systemic change.
Participants expressed optimism that the knowledge and connections gained would help build more resilient communities in flood-prone areas.
Certificates were distributed at the end of the programme.
Local humanitarian organisations, including SEWA, Jeevan Shiksha, Brahmaputra Foundation, North-Star Club, Socio-Economic Development Organisation, SSF–Lakhimpur, Peoples Action for Development, Pathikrit and representatives from flood-affected communities of Mohanaghat, Dibrugarh, were present.
