Disaster Risk Management Strategy and Plan of Action - Caribbean ...
Disaster Risk Management Strategy and Plan of Action - Caribbean ...
Disaster Risk Management Strategy and Plan of Action - Caribbean ...
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Regional <strong>Disaster</strong> <strong>Risk</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>Strategy</strong> for the Tourism Sector in the <strong>Caribbean</strong> – Final<br />
An integrated <strong>and</strong> proactive approach to disaster risk reduction in the <strong>Caribbean</strong> will necessitate countries<br />
developing strategies that combat all the main challenges as identified in the IDB <strong>Action</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> for Latin<br />
America <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Caribbean</strong>. 4 These areas include:<br />
(1) Reducing the Vulnerability <strong>of</strong> the Poor<br />
The literature on disaster risk reduction repeatedly underscores poverty as a dimension <strong>of</strong> vulnerability. A<br />
worrisome observation from a 2008 World Bank Report 5 highlights the fact that since 2000, poverty levels<br />
fell in most countries in Latin America but not in the <strong>Caribbean</strong>. Increasing migrant populations within<br />
the <strong>Caribbean</strong> further exacerbated vulnerability issues <strong>and</strong> highlighted the disparity between nationals <strong>and</strong><br />
non-nationals. The Turks <strong>and</strong> Caicos Isl<strong>and</strong>s (TCI) 6 , demonstrate these issues. According to a 2008<br />
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Caribbean</strong> (UNECLAC) report, the<br />
experience <strong>of</strong> Hurricane Ike <strong>and</strong> Tropical Storm Hanna in TCI in 2008 demonstrated that, “The isl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
which experienced the worst devastation also had the highest proportion <strong>of</strong> poverty, Gr<strong>and</strong> Turk with 32.8% poor <strong>and</strong> South<br />
Caicos, 45.2%. Middle Caicos, although having a higher percentage (61.4%) <strong>of</strong> the poor, did not result in a higher percentage<br />
<strong>of</strong> devastation to its households, as would have been expected. The extent <strong>of</strong> damage may be attributed to it having been more<br />
impacted by flooding from Tropical Storm Hanna than by Hurricane Ike”. 7<br />
There were also observable vulnerability issues that emerged in UNECLAC’s assessment <strong>of</strong> Saint Lucia in<br />
the aftermath <strong>of</strong> Hurricane Dean in 2007. The districts most severely affected were sub-urban Castries<br />
(rural), Anse La Raye, Vieux Fort, Dennery <strong>and</strong> Micoud which share a number <strong>of</strong> characteristics that<br />
increase the susceptibility <strong>of</strong> persons in those districts to the impact <strong>of</strong> natural hazards. Among them are<br />
their dependence on agriculture <strong>and</strong> fishing as the main source <strong>of</strong> income, the low lying coastal nature <strong>of</strong><br />
their settlements, <strong>and</strong> the rivers which run through, making these districts prone to flooding. The<br />
government acknowledged that the rural population faces greater challenges than their urban counterparts,<br />
particularly as it relates to access to social services <strong>and</strong> the generation <strong>of</strong> economic opportunity 8 .<br />
(2) Building a culture <strong>of</strong> prevention<br />
While there are increasing efforts by institutions <strong>and</strong> national governments to disseminate risk information,<br />
these have typically focused on hurricanes. Prevention strategies must still be reinforced through the<br />
planning initiatives <strong>of</strong> the economy’s various sectors, for multiple-hazards <strong>and</strong> at all levels in society.<br />
Recent studies 9 have found that in some countries, disaster <strong>and</strong> emergency preparedness <strong>and</strong> response<br />
planning (in the tourism sector <strong>and</strong> beyond) is inadequate. In the Tourism sector in particular, there has<br />
been a demonstrative need for both models <strong>and</strong> guidance for planning - in the form <strong>of</strong> high quality <strong>and</strong><br />
4 Inter-American Development Bank, 2000. Facing the Challenge <strong>of</strong> Natural <strong>Disaster</strong> in Latin America <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Caribbean</strong>: An<br />
IDB <strong>Action</strong> <strong>Plan</strong><br />
5 http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/0,,contentMDK:21858173~pagePK:146736~pi<br />
PK:146830~theSitePK:258554,00.html<br />
6 One <strong>of</strong> the countries used in the baseline study for this RPG project <strong>and</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the pilot countries for this <strong>Strategy</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
7 United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Caribbean</strong> (2008). Turks <strong>and</strong> Caicos Isl<strong>and</strong>s : macro Socio-<br />
Economic Assessment <strong>of</strong> the Damage <strong>and</strong> Losses Caused by Tropical Storm Hanna <strong>and</strong> Hurricane Ike<br />
8 United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Caribbean</strong> (2007). St. Lucia : Macro Socio-Economic<br />
Assessment <strong>of</strong> the Damage <strong>and</strong> Losses Caused by Hurricane Dean<br />
9 Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltee. Establishment <strong>of</strong> a Monitoring <strong>and</strong> Evaluation Framework through the Collection <strong>of</strong> Baseline<br />
Data for the Regional <strong>Disaster</strong> <strong>Risk</strong> <strong>Management</strong> for Sustainable Tourism in the <strong>Caribbean</strong> Project, Report on Baseline Data<br />
Collection Findings, 2007.<br />
6