Turks and Caicos Islands

Related work in needs and vulnerability assessment is taking place throughout the region. CDEMA’s
coordinating activities across multiple countries builds response capacity by taking advantage of the
resources and personnel from neighbouring countries. This enhances the response and reconstruction
efforts in each country when taken advantage of the partnership. Nevertheless, the need to incorporate
the principles of ‘building back better’ must also be a priority nationally so that the post-disaster context
becomes an opportunity for building resilience and institutionalizing disaster risk reduction goals.
5.7.3. Technology
Technology in the field of disaster management can reduce vulnerabilities through structural protective
structures, by way of policies that control or guide development, or through public education that would
then change the behaviours that generate vulnerability.
Coastal Protection
In the Caribbean investments in structural protection are often used to protect coastlines. The use of
groynes, breakwaters and sea walls are popular methods to control coastal erosion processes and
safeguard development from damaging wave actions. Although these structures do provide some relief,
they generally offer only temporary benefits and sometimes also cause negative effects in other locations
along the coast. Disaster management practices have also found that structural protection is very expensive
and can sometimes worsen the impacts of a disaster when the size of the structure is incongruent with an
event (e.g. sea wall structures, if broken or damaged, can add debris and exacerbate flooding and erosion).
Further discussion of the structural responses to climate change and SLR and storm surge can be found in
the Section 5.6.
Technology and Public Education
The Government of TCI has acknowledged in the National Development Plan (Government of the Turks and
Caicos Islands, 2008) the need to review public knowledge on climate change and the environment. Further
to this, they aim to establish a policy and regulatory framework for climate change adaptation and disaster
risk management that would also see the commencement of a public education programme on these
subjects (Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, 2008). With such a large portion of non-nationals or
immigrants (approximately 65%) (Clerveaux, Spence, & Katada, 2008), the importance of good public
education and strong communication networks is paramount for successful risk management.
There is no website for the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies that provides hazard
information, shelter locations and other relevant information that community members and tourist may
require. There is, however, a new website (www.911tci.com) where residents can register their home
location, physical conditions and any medical conditions of residents (Government of the Turks and Caicos
Islands, 2009b). The project aims to assist the Department of Survey and Mapping as well as helping the
emergency response teams in locating persons during medical or other kinds of emergency (Government of
the Turks and Caicos Islands, 2009b). This is a good initiative but in terms of risk reduction it does little to
change vulnerabilities. When citizens know that government agencies possess the proper information
though, they gain confidence and the process should provoke some persons to assess their risks and
consider evacuation routes. This does need reinforcement so that the goal of vulnerability reduction and
preparedness can be incorporated into daily activities of both individuals and businesses.
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