| "The
global climate is changing"... |
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Antigua and Barbuda |
run time 4:22 |
9
MB |
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the Bahamas |
run time 4:57 |
10 MB |
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Cayman |
run time 4:02 |
8 MB |
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St Kitts |
run time 5:43 |
11 MB |
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Being
implemented by four National Societies - Jamaica, Bahamas,
St. Kitts & Nevis and Antigua & Barbuda
and one Overseas Branch - the Cayman Islands.
The selection of these countries was based on the historical
hazard impact, poverty impact, and current hazard risk; national
society/overseas branch capacity, continuity of earlier initiatives
and the UN human development index.
The high risk of the islands
to hazards described in the assessment and problem statement
was justified in 2005.
Jamaica, Cayman Islands and the Bahamas
again proved their exposure to hurricanes in the region. Jamaica
is still recovering from the double impact of Hurricanes Dennis
and Emily - July 2005.
Cayman Islands narrowly escaped these
cyclones and were severely impacted by Hurricane Ivan. The
Bahamas had two tropical depressions form over the family of
islands that developed into tropical storms. Moreover, the
Bahamas just missed the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Ophelia
- August 2005.
In multi-island territories such as the Bahamas (e.g. Cat
Islands being isolated and severely affected by Hurricane Floyd
in 1999) Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts & Nevis the
problem is compounded by an uneven distribution of disaster
management capacity.
It is necessary to strengthen the resilience
of ‘distant’ communities in these countries to
protect the vulnerable. Indeed in the 1990’s these countries
were impacted by 6 hurricanes in 10 years.
Antigua was also
tasked with support for Montserrat during the volcanic eruptions
of the mid-late 1990’s. Because of their continued exposure
to natural hazards it is vital that their level of preparedness
be maintained and expanded.
Additionally, capacity to successfully implement and sustain
community disaster preparedness in outlying communities was
essential to the choice of country. Influencing the choice
of Jamaica, Bahamas and the Cayman Islands was not only risk,
but the need to build on recovery work done during the Hurricane
Ivan operation.
For the local communities the criterion for selection was
similar - historical hazard impact, exposure to current hazards
e.g. storm surge, flooding, volcanic eruption, exposure of
the community resources (laid bare by poverty, demographics,
gender or other social issues) and their coping capacity.
The overall objectives of the DIPECHO V Project are:
- Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments have formulated
a plan of action for disaster reduction at the community
level in twenty communities
- Twenty Community Disaster Response
plans have been prepared and emergency plans tested through
simulation exercises
- New Community Disaster Response Teams
members (CDRTs) have been trained and equipped, whilst existing
CDRTs have been refreshed
- Communities are better prepared
for disaster, having implemented mitigation activities and/or
established early warning systems
- Communities have recognised
the impact of climate change (CC) on their environment by
the introduction of discussion on CC into community VCA,
application in the field and the production of sound bytes
for playing on the local news
DIPECHO V commenced in January
2006 when 21 VCA Training of Trainers from eleven countries
were certified. In early June, eight persons managing the project
in the five countries met for a regional coordination meeting
at the Sub Regional Office of the International Federation
of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies in Trinidad and Tobago.
In addition to coordinating activities and discussing and sharing
methodologies, plans were harmonized for the inclusion of CC
into the VCA methodology.
This was guided by a specialist working
with the RC/RC Climate Center opened in 2002 by the Netherlands
Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies in the Hague, Netherlands. A “key
phrase” was developed for the project:
Our Community: Prepared!.... Ready!.... Safe!
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