Disaster risks are the chances of a disaster occurring that will have potentially harmful effects on lives, assets and livelihoods, arising from community exposure and vulnerability to natural and man-made hazards. We encourage comprehensive community action to eliminate disaster risks where possible and to reduce the occurrence and impact of disasters where primary prevention is not feasible. The process is implemented in collaboration with the national disaster office, municipalities, community and social services working in the targeted areas.
We pay special attention to women and children as their needs and coping methods often differ from those of men. Practical strategies include spreading awareness of a culture of safety and promoting psychosocial attitudes that favour it. We also advocate for laws, government policies and incentives for risk reduction measures. At the same time, we can ensure that development programmes do not generate new hazards or that these are adequately mitigated. Furthermore, environmental and physical infrastructural improvements can be made to protect assets and maintain services in the event of disaster.
Climate Change
A major driver of disaster risk is extreme weather events and environmental degradation, both of which have been linked to climate change. There is a vast amount of scientific evidence uniting experts the world over, which points to a highly changeable climate for the coming decades and beyond. True, there are uncertainties attached to these predictions, but it is very likely that extreme weather events – floods, droughts and storms – will become both more frequent and more severe. They may occur in areas where they were previously either unknown or extremely rare. Sea levels will rise as ice caps melt. In the Caribbean, this translates into an increased number of droughts, bleached coral reefs and more intense hurricanes with possibly storm surges and heavier rainfalls.
Are Caribbean Red Cross Societies prepared to respond to these disasters, and what role should they play in preparing and advocating for climate change? Our climate change adaptation work is undertaken through scaling up disaster risk reduction measures and strengthening traditional methods of coping with disasters that are relevant in particular environmental contexts. Recognizing that our understanding of the extent and impact of climate change will continue to evolve, we contribute to measures for adaptation – actions to reduce the vulnerability of communities to modified environments – and mitigation – environment-friendly behaviours that also reduce the extent of global warming which causes climate change. For instance:
- Can we use our water smarter; install easy and cheap water catchment systems?
- Is our house in a flood prone area and what can we do to reduce the damage when a flood comes?
- Can we plant trees to prevent landslides?
- Can we improve our early warning system for hurricanes and other risks and do we know what to do when a hurricane comes?
- How can we be smarter I our use of energy, so that we help to prevent further climate change?
