Dr Bryant Allen, a food-security specialist from the Support Unit’s expert panel, travelled to Papua New Guinea in November-December 2019 and provide expert inputs to the El Niño Early Action Program of PNG Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), one of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) partners. The program is about strengthening local capability and preparedness of communities at risk of droughts associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. The intervention, piloted in South Fly and Nipa-Kutubu Districts, Western and Southern Highlands Provinces, helped ADRA and village communities understand and respond to an ENSO induced drought by raising awareness of food security and resilience measures, including drought resistant crops and climate-smart agriculture.
Dr Allen also provided ADRA and other AHP partners with practical advice for future steps, including organising follow-up visits to the drought hit communities and shaping ADRA and other AHP partners to play a role in knowledge brokering between the PNG National Weather Service and the communities. The El Niño Early Action Program is continuing until June 2020 as ADRA plans to replicate this practice in three areas of Morehead, Oriomo-Boturi and Mt Bosavi.
Sent by Jeong Park 4.3 years ago