Safer Journeys Lead Nathalie Chiavassa was pleased to join the PIDG Institute in Casablanca last week to share how safety can be optimised in the Group’s road infrastructure projects delivered throughout sub-Saharan Africa and south and south-east Asia.

Infrastructure is fundamental to progress, and the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) is an innovative infrastructure project developer and investor which has mobilised $37.8 billion from Private Sector Investors and Development Finance Institutions since 2002 in the region, providing 220 million people with access to new or improved infrastructure and creating 25,000 long-term jobs.

PIDG investments promote socio-economic development within a just transition to net zero emissions, combat poverty and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The ‘Minimising Risks and Maximising Positive Impacts in our Markets’ Workshop was held from 6-9 June in Morocco and aimed to address how companies can identify and minimise risks in projects through the application of health, safety, environmental and social safeguards.

The event presented two modules on:

Module 1: Impact Management, Culture and Social Safeguarding

• Governance, safety culture and leadership in ESG
• Investing for sustainable development
• Taking a climate and gender lens in infrastructure investment
• Human rights safeguarding
• Monitoring, evaluating and learning about impact
• Biodiversity / nature based solutions

Module 2: Incident investigation, health, safety and security management with a practical site visit

• Transport safety
• Security safeguarding and management
• Supply chain risks and modern slavery
• Incident investigation and learning from events
• Contractor management for construction safety

Nathalie shared how the iRAP methodology and tools can be used to ensure safety is optimised, measured and managed in PIDG’s road projects, sharing her more than 15 years of road safety experience delivering projects in Denmark, Senegal, Tanzania and Chad.

Nathalie has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in national strategy and action plans, crash data collection, road safety education and campaigns, road safety audits, and providing technical road safety advice.