Mohd Muhaimin (Min) bin Ridwan Wong began his career as a university lecturer in civil engineering with a master's degree in Engineering.  As a research officer at the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Research Centre of the National Defense University of Malaysia, Min’s scope of work typically involves understanding the perceptions, attitudes, strategies and responses of different societal stakeholders towards emergencies and disasters. Min is also actively involved in various capacity building, community engagement and knowledge transfer programs. These programs have led him to engage stakeholders from civil agencies, the armed forces and community members to build and strengthen their individual and collective response capacities.

IVLP Impact Award Project: Enhancing Disaster Preparedness and Climate Change Adaptation For Small Island Community on Redang Island, Malaysia

This project assessed local communities' disaster preparedness and climate change knowledge; enhanced understanding of hazards, impacts and approaches to sustainable adaptation; and developed a guideline for local stakeholders to identify opportunities, promote effective utilization of resources and strengthen preparedness and resilience against traditional and emerging threats.

A total of 145 people were surveyed about disaster hazards and climate change impacts in Kampung Baru on Redang Island. Some 37 people participated in the project’s workshops on disaster hazards and climate change impacts and learned how to better respond to disasters in the future. The participants received guidebooks about the topics covered during the workshops so that they could carry this knowledge with them in the future.

IVLP Exchange Experience

Mohd participated in the IVLP Project Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, organized by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global in partnership with Minot Area Council for International Visitors, ND, Global Ties Iowa, WorldOrlando and Michigan Council for Citizen Diplomacy.

Mohd's exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "My participation in the IVLP was incredibly rewarding as it provided opportunities to look at different perspectives, knowledge and experiences shared by the panelists and fellow participants alike. Programs like this allow us to refine our approaches and potentially produce better outcomes for our goals in disaster risk reduction and community development."

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually 

Washington, DC; Orlando, FL; Iowa City, IA; East Lansing, MI: Minot, ND

"I was able to expand my professional network with peers within this field from other countries so that we can hopefully work towards mutually beneficial outcomes." - Mohd Muhaimin bin Ridwan Wong

Country: Malaysia

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