FPT Industrial – the global powertrain brand of Iveco Group – and CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI) have joined the WeWorld charity organization in their effort to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The focus of the partnership will be Mozambique, a country frequently subject to extreme weather events, such as floods and cyclones, that can have devastating consequences in terms of loss of human life, and economic and environmental damage. The project run by WeWorld, CNH Industrial, and FPT Industrial will focus on the district of Sussundenga and the administrative area of Dombe, in the province of Manica in the west of the country, which is often hit by major cyclones.
The partnership will build resilient communities and schools, as well as improving risk management in this vulnerable area frequently exposed to the hydro-meteorological effects of climate change.
The project will first create six School Disaster Risk Management Committees (SDRM) in Manica’s public schools, which will involve teachers as well as volunteers. The Committees will receive tools and training that will enable them to be more resilient in the face of natural disasters. Each committee will be trained according to the Basic School Emergency Plan, an innovative tool created by UN Habitat and UNICEF to face up to and manage risks and disasters using the Vulnerability Analysis and Climate Capabilities methodology. The committees will also be equipped with an Early Warning System (EWS) kit which will contain the necessary equipment to receive alerts and reports to be communicated to members of the school community during an emergency.
In addition, the initiative will provide for the refurbishment of nineteen classrooms in the Mossurize district in Ngungunhana. The structural works will improve the condition of the buildings in order to reduce the vulnerability of the infrastructure, thereby helping protect pupils and teachers as well as guaranteeing structural resilience and the capacity to continue operations following emergencies and disasters. This will also ensure safer and more inclusive learning spaces for students and teachers, including people with disabilities, providing efficient and effective educational services even during the critical periods following a natural disaster.
“Mitigating the risks and the effects of climate change, such as by supporting training for young people, are some of the global challenges being tackled by CNH Industrial,” says Daniela Ropolo, Head of Sustainable Development Initiatives at CNH Industrial. “Climate change has a severe impact on people’s quality of life, especially in certain areas of the globe. We are proud to have established this partnership with WeWorld, sharing our knowledge and values to take this project forward. It represents a tangible way to confirm our commitment to young people and future generations.”
Finally, FPT Industrial will be donating an N45 SM 1A 59-65 kW genset to the Civil Protection (INGD) headquarters in Maputo, which will be managed by the local dealer. The generator will guarantee electrical continuity following severe natural disasters affecting the utilities and powerlines, while also ensuring that Civil Protection operatives and other emergency workers can continue their emergency-related operations.
Intended to power hospitals, health centers, or schools in emergencies, the genset will greatly increase the local people’s resilience to the effects of climate change, and will allow FPT Industrial to take part in a practical direct project involving community support, environmental care, first-aid training, and the promotion of sustainability across the board.
“We are fully engaged in the energy transition, with projects at both global and local level,” comments Egle Panzella, Sustainability Manager at FPT Industrial. “Because we know that even seemingly small gestures of solidarity can have a significant positive impact on local communities. Delivering our generator will offer an opportunity to provide essential equipment, while joining a focused training program for local people set up to improve their readiness and resilience in emergency situations.”
Based in Milan (Italy) and operational in 25 countries, WeWorld has been working for over 50 years to guarantee rights and equal opportunities to women, girls and boys through access to resources, health, education, and work. WeWorld has been operational in Mozambique since 2000.
Piero Meda, Mozambique Country Representative at WeWorld, had this to say: “The support of CNH Industrial and FPT Industrial is crucial for us to ensure continuity in the development of inclusive and resilient education in Mozambique, and to assist not only the students but also their families and local communities in risk management and emergency support. As a result of the recent tropical depression ‘Ana’, several schools we work with in the Cabo Delgado and Manica provinces were damaged and flooded, and one was destroyed. An immediate response has been possible thanks in no small part to the support of FPT Industrial and CNH Industrial, which has earmarked part of its donation for the safety of the school infrastructure. The next activity will be to train school disaster risk management committees who will be ready to respond to emergencies, and especially to prevent disasters”.
