ROADTOWN Tortola, BVI, July 8th, 2011 - Two technical interns from the University of Portsmouth, England are in the Territory for five weeks working along with the Department of Disaster Management.
Messrs Stephen Mountford and Scott Turnbull will spend their time here in the Virgin Islands assessing and mapping variations in social vulnerability in Road Town and undertaking flood hazard mapping, evacuation and mitigation planning of Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda and Anegada.
Two technical interns from the University of Portsmouth, England are in the Territory for five weeks working along with the Department of Disaster Management.
Director of the Department of Disaster Management (DDM), Ms. Sharleen DaBreo said, “We are pleased to be able to accommodate these interns who will be able to provide us with detailed structural information on social vulnerability aspects as well as the vulnerabilities of buildings susceptible to floods, tsunamis and storm surge.”
“The work of the interns will assist us in further updating the National GIS database to allow for greater accuracy in decision making during hazard impacts and in development and planning,” Ms. DaBreo added.
Mountford, a Geography student at the University of Portsmouth is focusing his research on highlighting the most socially vulnerable areas in the Virgin Islands (VI) which will be used to assist the DDM in focusing their disaster mitigation efforts on the areas which need it most.
Mr. Turnbull, who has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Hazards will be concentrating on the flood hazard mapping, evacuation and mitigation planning aspects.
His final project will consist of detailed maps of the hazardous areas that may flood during a time of intense rainfall showing areas of high, medium to low vulnerable areas. Both students are currently pursuing post graduate degrees in Crisis and Disaster Management. This is the second year that the DDM has hosted students from the University of Portsmouth.
A report documenting the findings with approaches and methods that could be used to provide low-cost and rapid, yet detailed, effective and accurate assessment for the VI will be presented to the department at the end of the internship.
The internships are self-funded and all data collected will be presented to the Government in a format suitable for future use.
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British Virgin Islands News