The National Committee for Disaster Management said yesterday that the government has made provisions for this year’s rainy season.

More than 10,000 tonnes of rice, emergency supplies and rescue vehicles have been prepared ahead of predicted flooding, committee deputy director Nhim Vanda said yesterday at a workshop in the capital.

Vanda added that the government had begun constructing more disaster-resilient infrastructure with support from the World Bank and other development partners, but declined to put a dollar figure on the amount of money the government was ready to spend.

Officials yesterday also announced that a committee will soon start travelling to rural areas to inform residents about weather-proof building techniques, including finding locations on hills and constructing homes with corrugated metal roofs rather than thatching.

Heavy rains and flooding last year resulted in 168 deaths and incurred more $356 million in damages, the NCDM says.