Two weeks of training on Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Methodologies for intense rainfall and coastal flooding culminated with a presentation of the results on the 28th November, 2018. The results included hazard, risk and vulnerability maps for the pilot community of Dennery, Saint Lucia. As part of the training, the group went into the Dennery community to undertake a risk perception survey. Preliminary results of the survey indicated that community members are not all aware of household and community evacuations plans. This represents one of the areas requiring strengthening in Dennery that should be incorporated into the development of the community disaster risk management plan and to inform training interventions.
In attendance at the information-sharing session was Cuban Ambassador to Saint Lucia, Mr. Jorge Soberon, along with students of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. The gathering was addressed by the Director of the National Emergency Management Organisation, Mr. Velda Joseph who commended the Multi-Disciplinary team for their engagement and the Cuban team for sharing their expertise with Saint Lucia in an area that has been identified as a gap in the Multi-hazard Early Warning System. Ms. Janire Zulaika, Regional Coordinator for the Project in her address provided a brief overview of the Project, highlighting the participating countries and the priority actions being implemented in the other countries.Ìý
Dr. Alexcia Cooke of CDEMA, highlighted the process undergone in reaching the stage of the implementation of the priority action, noting the application of the MHEWS Checklist – production of the MHEWS Gap Analysis Report – preparation of the MHEWS Roadmap. She also highlighted the next step which is to have a sustainability dialogue on 6 December, 2018 targeted at high-level government officials, private sector, civil society and vulnerable group representatives. The aim of the sustainability dialogue will be to discuss opportunities and innovative ways to address MHEWS gaps in the legal and institutional framework, human and financial resource mobilisation and capacity building across the four pillars of an early warning system.Ìý
In responding to the presentations of the hazard maps, vulnerability and risk maps presented by the Multi-Disciplinary Group in Saint Lucia, Ambassador Soberon underscored the critical importance of what was accomplished during the Training as contributing to the resilience of other areas of cooperation such as agriculture, education and infrastructure.
"Strengthening integrated early warning systems for more effective disaster risk reduction in the Caribbean through knowledge and the transfer of tools" is a Disaster Risk Reduction project of the DIPECHO Action Plan for the Caribbean, implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent (IFRC), and funded by the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid of the European Union (ECHO).Ìý
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This project, which is being implemented in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Cuba over an 18-month period, seeks to strengthen disaster preparedness and risk reduction through Integrated Early Warning Systems (EWS). Working in this important element for disaster risk reduction, is expected to enhance the prevention, mitigation and response capacities at both the institutional and community level, based on mutual learning and collaboration between countries and regional institutions working in disaster risk reduction across the Caribbean.Ìý