ROADTOWN Tortola BVI, April 27th, 2012 – The strengthening and acceleration of regional disaster programmes as well as their vulnerabilities are currently being discussed amongst regional disaster management directors and specialised regional organisations at a meeting hosted by Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) in Barbados.
Mrs. Rosalie Adams is serving as the chairperson for the 3rd Meeting of the CDEMA Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). In her opening remarks Mrs. Adams said, “We are here to continue to develop the strategic goals of the organization and to provide technical advice to the Council of Ministers of CDEMA.
As with all Governments, including the Virgin Islands, we take disaster management seriously. We have benefitted significantly from the support of the CDEMA mechanism which has allowed us to advance our national level programmes.”
Mrs. Adams also chairs the Board of Directors of the Regional Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Information System for the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and Climate Change Adaptation in the Caribbean Tourism Sector. This system, funded by the International Development Bank (IDB), has been implemented by CDEMA.
This year’s discussions will focus on the further strengthening and acceleration of the regional Comprehension Disaster Management (CDM) programme, especially the operational protocols for the Roving Technical Support Team of CDEMA that provide specialised assistance to the Participating States specifically in the implementation of national initiatives.
Also on the agenda for discussion are the tools for developing a national CDM Policy, the Climate Smart Community Disaster Management Programme and mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into the CDM Country Work Programmes. The TAC will receive reports from four Sub-Committees, including the Work Programme Development and Review Sub-Committee which is chaired by the Director of the Department of Disaster Management, Ms. Sharleen S. DaBreo.
TAC, part of the governance mechanism of CDEMA, provides strategic guidance on the development and implementation of the regional CDM Programme. The current meeting is being held from the 26-27 April. This gathering comprises Directors of the National Disaster Organizations (NDOs) of CDEMA’s 18 Participating States along with specialised regional organizations, such as the Seismic Research Centre of the University of the West Indies, the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC).
The Feature Address at the Opening Ceremony was delivered by the Acting Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs in Barbados, Mr. Michael Lashley. He spoke about the financial challenges affecting NDOs, including the office in Barbados, but gave the assurance that his Government is committed to providing support to the Department of Emergency Management to allow for a full implementation of the local CDM Programme.
During the Ceremony, the current Executive Director of CDEMA, Mr. Jeremy Collymore, announced that he will be demitting office in December of this year after serving more than 20 years in this capacity. Mr. Collymore said, “I thank you for your support over the years I have been in this office and I urge you to sustain this vigilance as it critical to the effective governance and survival of this agency.
I urge you to shake off the cloud of complacency that is begging to gather in our system. Length of service and knowledge must not blunt our need to stay focused on your mission. Business as usual is not the business of Sustainability.”
The Third Meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is being hosted by the CDEMA Coordinating Unit with the support of the Government of Barbados through the Department of Emergency Management.
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