Comprehensive Disaster Management:A Model National CDM Policy for Caribbean Countries

The Caribbean region is comprised of a number of small islands and low-lying coastal states, where the major urban areas, the associated infrastructure and key economic sectors are located in areas that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of both natural and anthropogenic hazards.

CDEMA Participating States (PS) continue to experience a number of repeated losses from hurricanes and their associated effects, flooding, landslides, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Global concerns such as the vulnerability of the region to climate change also mean that a number of States are likely to be affected by increasing climate variability, (hurricanes, floods, droughts) and damage to water resources, ecosystems, human settlements, agricultural systems, coastal resources, tourism infrastructure and human health.

Apart from natural hazards, the region is also susceptible to a number of technological hazards. These include large-scale fires, oil and chemical spills, aircraft accidents, accidents involving the transportation of toxic and hazardous waste material on land and sea, large-scale marine and on-land transportation accidents.

Cognizant of the above, in 2001, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) through broad-based stakeholder consultations adopted a Strategy and Results Framework for CDM. In 2006, the CDM Strategy was reviewed and reshaped to emphasize disaster loss reduction through risk management, and to follow a more Programme Based Approach (PBA) with an emphasis on Results Based Management (RBM).

In essence, the focus of Disaster Management in the Caribbean evolved from one principally concerned with response to events, to one based on disaster risk reduction through greater attention to mitigation, preparedness and recovery. This paradigm shift in the Region’s approach to risk management necessitates more proactive and strategic planning to galvanize the necessary support by decision makers, encourage sector mainstreaming of CDM, enhance knowledge management on CDM and strengthen community resilience.

It is therefore the CDEMA Coordinating Unit’s intention to support our Participating States (PS) in delivering CDM through the development of a model national CDM Policy and associated national CDM Strategy and Plan of Action templates.