The Bahamas, through the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, is hosting the Ninth Comprehensive Disaster Management Conference of CDEMA, Monday, November 30 to December 4, 2015 at Melia Nassau Beach Resort. The conference is under the theme: “The Road to Resilience Checkpoint 2015.” Pictured in photo following the opening ceremony are from left: Captain Stephen Russell, Director, NEMA; The Hon. Adriel Brathwaite, Chairman, CDEMA Council; the Hon. Arnold Forbes, Minister of State, Ministry of Works and Urban Development; The Most Hon. P J Patterson, former Prime Minister, Jamaica; and, at right, Rev. Ranford Patterson, President, Bahamas Christian Council. (BIS Photo/Kemuel Stubbs)
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NASSAU, The
Bahamas -- Regional resilience to natural disasters is the focus of the 2015
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency's (CDEMA) forum on Comprehensive
Disaster Management, in partnership with the National Emergency Management
Agency (NEMA), following the aftermath of a tumultuous hurricane season that
left devastation in the Southern Bahamas.
State
Minister for the Ministry of Works & Urban Development, the Hon. Arnold
Forbes, The Bahamas' CDEMA Representative, extended a warm welcome on behalf of
all Bahamians to the delegates who travelled to the Bahamas to participate in
the Conference.
"We are
constantly reminded that The Bahamas and the countries in our region are
located in one of the most vulnerable areas in the world. The risks we face threaten our fragile
economies and demand that we have in place sound disaster risk management
systems," said State Minister Forbes.
"The
Bahamas, a multi-island state, as well as several other multi islands states in
the region are also faced with the challenges associated with building
redundancy in resources. We nevertheless, have to remain resolute in our
efforts to build disaster resilient states."
On November
30, The Bahamas welcomed CDEMA's Participating States to the 9th Comprehensive
Disaster Management Conference, at the official opening ceremony, at Melia
Nassau Beach Resort. The conference
takes place
November 30th to
December 4th, 2015, under the theme "The Road
To Resilience Checkpoint 2015."
"Today,
November 30, marks the official end of the Atlantic Hurricane Season and this
year Hurricane Joaquin and Tropical Storm Kate have reminded Bahamians once
again of our vulnerability to hydro-meteorological hazards," said Minister
Forbes.
"We are
currently recovering from the destruction that Joaquin’s storm surge and flood
waters caused to infrastructure and homes and the concomitant disruption to our
lives and livelihood."
Minister
Forbes expressed gratitude to CDEMA for their support in organizing and
deploying three Rapid Needs Assessment Teams (RNAT) to Acklins, Crooked Island,
and Long Island, the worst hit of the Family Islands in Central Bahamas. He
also thanked agencies that deployed personnel for the RNAT.
"These
included the National Disaster Offices of BVI and ODPEM, PAHO, CARPHA, DFATD,
UN OCHA/UNDAC and the Barbados Coastal Zone Management. The Government and
people of The Bahamas are indeed grateful," said Minister Forbes.
"Over
in Dominica, our brothers and sisters experienced tremendous loss from the
passage of Tropical Storm Erika. Torrential rains on
August 27 resulted in
flooding and catastrophic mudslides, which caused the deaths of 20 persons and
devastation of several villages. According to reports from the Government of
Dominica, EC1.2 billion dollars is needed for the rebuilding process."
TOP: Delegates attending the Opening Ceremony of the Ninth Comprehensive Disaster Management Conference of CDEMA, Monday, November 30, 2015 at Melia Nassau Beach Resort. ---
BOTTOM: Students of Eva Hilton Primary School put on an energetic performance the Opening Ceremony of the Ninth Comprehensive Disaster Management Conference, Monday, November 30, 2015 at Melia Nassau Beach Resort. (BIS Photo/Kemuel Stubbs)
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Minister
Forbes said that the 2015 Hurricane Season, although considered a below average
season, saw many countries across the region placing their response mechanisms
on alert or activation as systems formed and threatened their islands.
"This
year, drought situations were noted in many countries, including Barbados,
Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Haiti, Guyana.
Weather experts believe that hydro-meteorological events that are
affecting the region are evidence of the climate change and climate variability
phenomena," said Minister Forbes.
"Countries
across the region have also been rattled by an increase in earthquakes and the
rumblings of Kick -‘em-Jenny, the underwater volcano off the coast of Grenada.
Scientists at the Seismic Research Centre at the University of the West Indies
in St. Augustine have also been telling us that the region is due for a large
earthquake."
Minister
Forbes reminded the audience that last year, the panic and near hysteria of the
Ebola threat, also reminded the region to remain cognizant of the threat of
technological and other human-induced disaster events.
"I have
drawn attention to these occurrences to illustrate that as a country and a
region we must seek to continue the process of integrating Comprehensive
Disaster Management into all sectors, and to promote its practice by all
stakeholders," said Minister Forbes.
"In The
Bahamas, our Government has fully embraced the CDM concept and stands behind
its endorsement of the Regional CDM Strategy and Framework for 2014-2024."
Minister
Forbes added that our Honorable Prime Minister [Christie] has been named among
the first Political Level CDM Champions. As a result, he said we now recognize
that getting everyone on board is not an easy task, although we remain resolute
in our efforts.
"We are
also looking to work closer with the CDEMA Coordinating Unit to support
advancement of CDM. Early this year, the
NEMA team met with the CDEMA Coordinating Unit to discuss the country work
programme and its alignment with national goals identified in the regional CDM
Strategy. Our priorities at this time
are focused on the mapping of vulnerable areas and on community
preparedness," said Minister Forbes.
"We are
seeking to build capacity in the islands and to bring communities to a point
where they can respond in the immediate aftermath to events. As a multi-island
state, we need to have systems in place to be able to respond in a timely way
to our Family Islands and are working to build logistics capacity in this
regard."
Minister
Forbes concluded with his belief that the Bahamas is on the “Road to
Resilience.“
"We
view the hosting of the 9th CDM Conference, as a privilege of being able to
provide the space to further discussions on the progress of CDM implementation
not only in The Bahamas, but in all the 18 CDEMA Participating States. We are
also happy to have among us at this Conference, disaster management
practitioners from Latin America and other Caribbean States, the Pacific and
globally who will share their experiences on disaster risk reduction
efforts," said Minister Forbes.
"I have
perused the programme and am sure that at the end of the four days, we will all
leave here with a better understanding of what we need to do in our respective
ways to move further along the 'CDM Road to Resilience'."
" I
wish you a successful Conference and encourage you to take time out each day to
sample the delights of The Bahamas," said Minister Forbes.
Related:
The Region Looks at Enhancing Comprehensive Disaster Management