Community Disaster Preparedness, Education and Mitigation Project (CDPEM) – A Success in Dominica.

In January 2002, the first phase of a Community Disaster Preparedness, Education and Mitigation Programme (CDPEM) commenced in two vulnerable of Dominica – Bagatelle in the south and Paix Bouche in the north of the island with the assistance of the Red Cross.

On successful completion of this phase the programme was extended for a further year to include the additional vulnerable communities of Point Michel, Salisbury and Portsmouth.

Funding for this programme was provided by the United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the American Red Cross.

The goal of the programme has been to enhance local capacities to prevent, mitigate, prepare for and respond to disasters through enhanced co-ordination of local emergency organizations and increased community awareness. The community awareness campaign would serve to increase knowledge of simple mitigation measures that can be applied at community level.

Dominica was selected as one of the three countries for the first phase of the project with the latter country participating in phase two- Belize, Dominica, Guyana and Grenada.

Dominica is vulnerable to many natural hazards including hurricanes, volcanic activity (11 live volcanoes on island) and landslides owing to its rugged and mountainous topography. The last major hurricane occurred in September 1995 (Hurricanes Luis and Marilyn) when the Red Cross played a leading role in the relief operation which followed.

Prior to the CDPEM programme, the Dominica Red Cross had successfully implemented a Community-based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) programme in 20 vulnerable communities island wide, cultivating strong ties to local communities, the Department of Local Government, the Office of Disaster Management, other government Ministries and the private sector.

An executive member of the National Emergency Planning Organisation (NEPO) and the Dominica Red Cross plays a major role in disaster management training on the island and collaborates closely with the Office of Disaster Management and the Local Government Department responsible for organizing disaster committees at the community level.

As a result of this and its track record in communities, the Red Cross was also awarded a contract for the training component of the World Bank Emergency Recovery and Disaster Management Programme in 2002 to train 500 persons island-wide in disaster management.

The CDPEM programme has met its goals and can boast of the following accomplishments:

• Successful implementation of the programme in all 5 communities
• Training in all areas of Disaster Management, preparation of Family Disaster plans, Community Hazard Maps and First Aid completed in all communities
• Successful implementation of the micro projects
• Increased visibility of the Red Cross in the communities
• Increased awareness of Disaster Preparedness and Response activities
• A cadre of persons now better equipped to manage a disaster in each of the five communities
• Red Cross now seen as a resource for providing training in Disaster Management
• Closer ties established with the Department of Planning and Cable and Wireless resulting from the use of GIS technology in preparation of hazard maps
• A great number of households in each community now have Family Disaster Plans
• Emergency Shelters in each of the communities are now better equipped with emergency supplies
• Each community also now has a Community Disaster Plan and Hazard Maps of their community
• Due to the increased awareness of the hazards in their communities, residents have become more proactive in mitigation activities
• Shelters are now equipped with highly visible shelter rules and regulations
• Educational materials on Disaster management have been distributed to residents in the five communities and others as well
• A billboard measuring8x4 highlighting the hazards to which the communities are prone provide constant reminders in each community of the need to prepare for disasters.

The CDPEM programme has been extremely beneficial to the five communities and the Red Cross in many ways. The Disaster Committees are now better prepared to respond to most disasters through the training and the emergency supplies which they received. The residents are also more aware of the work of the Disaster Committee and the Red Cross.

The Red Cross has gained a high degree of visibility and appreciation of its work in the communities from the public. Interest in the formation of a new Branch have been expressed by the community of Pointe Michel and discussions held in this regard. The programme has also paved the way for Red Cross to increase its collaboration with new public and private sector divisions and organisations.

The Red Cross believes that given the proven effectiveness of this programme and in order to assure the highest possible level of disaster preparedness at a national level, it would be beneficial if the programme could be extended to other communities.