The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the National Disaster Centre (NDC), has successfully concluded the Provincial Disaster Centre (PDC) Institutional Capacity Assessment Validation Workshop in Port Moresby recently.

The workshop brought together Provincial Disaster Coordinators from across all 22 provinces of Papua New Guinea to review, validate, and strengthen the findings of a nationwide institutional capacity assessment. The assessment examined key dimensions of disaster management, providing a comprehensive overview of strengths, gaps, and opportunities at the provincial level.

During the workshop, participants:

• Validated key findings on institutional capacity across disaster management systems.
• Identified priority gaps and opportunities to strengthen preparedness, response, coordination, and recovery efforts.
• Shared practical experiences, lessons learned, and good practices from provincial disaster management efforts.
• Developed actionable recommendations to inform both provincial and national capacity strengthening roadmaps.

Provincial Disaster Centers play a vital role in coordinating disaster preparedness, response, and recovery across Papua New Guinea; thus, strengthening their institutional capacity is critical to improving resilience, safeguarding lives and livelihoods, and ensuring communities are better equipped to respond to future shocks and hazards.

“This workshop marks an important step towards building stronger, more responsive disaster management systems at the provincial level,” said Mr. Martin Mose PNG NDC.

“By grounding resilience efforts in local capacity, Papua New Guinea is reinforcing its ability to respond effectively to disasters and protect its communities.”

The assessment and validation workshop were jointly implemented by NDC and IOM, with financial support from the United States Government and the Government of Australia. Their

continued partnership remains instrumental in advancing disaster risk management systems and strengthening resilience nationwide.

IOM and NDC extend their sincere appreciation to Provincial Disaster Directors, Provincial Disaster Coordinators, government counterparts, and all partners for their strong commitment and collaboration in building more effective and inclusive disaster management systems across Papua New Guinea.