$3.09 Million for Hazard Management Project

A sum of $3.09 million has been allocated in the 2008/09 Estimates of Expenditure to the Natural Hazard Management in Urban Coastal Areas project, to strengthen disaster risk management in towns and cities located in such areas.
Funded by the Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the specific objectives of the project are to improve co-ordination among the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) local authorities and communities; enhance parish response capabilities; and provide institutional support to the ODPEM.
The project is slated to begin in April of this year and continue to March 2011. It will seek to produce hazard specific maps; survey vulnerable households and organizations, and critical facilities. Risk management plans will be developed, with strong community participation, while another component will seek to improve the resilience of communities, parish response, and capacity building for 10 parishes. Under this component, communication equipment will be procured, telecommunication plan reviewed, training in communication conducted, and parish emergency teams strengthened.
A model risk management plan will be developed and applied by consultancy services, while a community risk management plan for coastal areas will be developed by the ODPEM staff, and a number of community workshops will be convened. The community risk management plan will be promoted and disseminated, and the implementation of mitigation projects will be supported.
There will also be institutional strengthening of the ODPEM, with a review and update of the National Disaster Programme, updating of the national plan, development of related policies and action plans; and support provided for the mainstreaming of disaster risk management in different sectors.
In terms of organizational structure, the ODPEM’s structure will be reviewed, as well as its administrative and human resources manuals and procedures. Meanwhile, improvements will be made to the existing legal framework, and subsidiary legislation and regulations developed.