Mariental: The Mariental Municipality is currently conducting a pivotal three-day workshop aimed at enhancing local capabilities in disaster risk reduction. This initiative seeks to furnish municipal staff and relevant stakeholders with essential knowledge and tools to incorporate risk assessments into their development strategies.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Mayor Cherien Kock, in her welcome address, highlighted that Mariental was selected as one of six local authorities within the Southern African Development Communities (SADC) to participate in the Making Cities Resilient (MCR) 2023 initiative Roll-Out campaign. She emphasized the town's vulnerability to flooding, referencing the significant flood event of 2006, which continues to affect the community. Kock expressed gratitude for the support from GIZ, which was instrumental in Mariental's selection for the SADC MCR2023 initiative.

Kock further stated that the Mariental Municipality aims to leverage the full spectrum of benefits provided by the MCR2023 initiative. These benefits are intended to enhance the municipality's capacity to manage and mitigate disaster risks while promoting sustainable development and fostering a more resilient community.

The workshop has attracted representatives from several key organizations, including the Office of the Prime Minister, the GIZ Resilience Initiative Africa (RIA), and the United Nations for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). The RIA project, supported by GIZ and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, focuses on building capacity for risk-informed development.

Kock called upon all stakeholders attending the workshop to engage actively and contribute earnestly towards formulating a comprehensive disaster risk reduction plan for Mariental Municipality. The workshop is set to conclude on Thursday.