Turks and Caicos Islands

This regional disaster management framework is designed to inform national level disaster planning and
activities but also takes into consideration potential climate change impacts in its resilience building
protocols. The four Priority Outcomes of the CDM framework are:
1. Institutional capacity building at national and regional levels;
2. Enhanced knowledge management;
3. Mainstreaming of disaster risk management into national and sector plans; and
4. Building community resilience.
These outcomes have been further broken down into outputs that assist in the measurement of progress
towards the full implementation of CDM at the national and community level and within sectors (see Table
5.7.1). The CDM Governance Mechanism is comprised of the CDM Coordination and Harmonization Council
and six (6) Sector Sub-Committees. These sectors include – Education, Health, Civil Society, Agriculture,
Tourism and Finance. These six sectors have been prioritised in the Enhanced CDM Strategy as the focus
during the period from 2007 to 2012. CDEMA facilitates the coordination of these committees (CDEMA,
2010).
To address disaster management in the Caribbean tourism sector, CDEMA, with the support of the Inter-
American Development Bank (IDB) and in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO),
CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality and the University of the West Indies will be
implementing a Regional Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Project for Sustainable Tourism (The Regional
Public Good) over the period of January 2007 to June 2010. The project aims to reduce the Caribbean
tourism sector’s vulnerability to natural hazards through the development of a ‘Regional DRM Framework
for Tourism’. Under the Framework, a ‘Regional DRM Strategy and Plan of Action’ will be developed, with a
fundamental component being the development of standardised methodologies for hazard mapping,
vulnerability assessment and economic valuation for risk assessment for the tourism sector (CDERA, 2007;
CDERA, 2008).
Finally, the link between CDM and climate change cannot be ignored. Projections for the region suggest
that more extreme temperatures and more intense rainfall in certain seasons could lead to a greater
number of hydro-meteorological disasters. Many of the hazards facing Caribbean countries already pose
threats to lives and livelihoods and climate-related events are regular occurrences. This has been
recognised with the mention of climate change in the CDM strategy. The CCCRA report will not only offer
improvements to the existing disaster management framework in the region, but will also offer pragmatic
strategies for action which will build resilience in the Caribbean to the predicted impacts from climate
change (see herein, sections on Water Quality and Availability, Marine and Terrestrial Biodiversity and
Fisheries, Community Livelihoods, Gender, Poverty and Development, Human Health, Energy Supply and
Distribution, Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge Impacts on Coastal Infrastructure and Settlements).
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