Disaster Risk Management for Coastal Tourism - Caribbean Hotel ...

Disaster Risk Management For Coastal Tourism Destinations Responding To Climate Change
A Practical Guide For Decision Makers
Following the mass casualty event of the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26th
2004, Phuket Island province has developed a 5-year Phuket Tourism Risk Management
Strategy, PTRMS (see Box 3.2). The PTRMS is integrated with a number of national
development, tourism and disaster management plans and strategies (see Figure
3.2) in order to safeguard the tourism destination’s reputation for disaster prevention
and response. The PTRMS is also related to other action plans and strategies for the
province and region, covering the three phases of disaster management.
The PTRMS has prioritized the major hazards that impact the tourism industry: with
representatives of the Phuket government (governor, provincial and sub-district
administrators), other government and tourism agencies; tourism industry and
association representatives and other supportive and civil society groups. Coordinated
by the provincial governor, this stakeholder group oversees the development and
implementation of the PTRMS. The operational responsibility for implementation of the
PTRMS lies with the Phuket Tourism Crisis Management Team (TCMT), also chaired by
the Governor and comprising twelve government and tourism agency members.
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3.6 Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the
Local Level (APELL): An International Initiative and Local
Preparedness Framework
The APELL programme was born in the 1980s, following various chemical accidents.
UNEP then suggested a series of measures to help governments, particularly in
developing countries, to reduce the occurrence and harmful effects of technological
accidents and emergencies. One of these measures was to institute a programme
– the APELL programme – enabling governments, in cooperation with industry, to
work with local leaders to identify the potential hazards in their communities. This
programme also developed procedures to respond and to control emergencies that
threaten public health, safety and the environment.
As an international initiative, the APELL programme has been developed in
full cooperation with partners in industry e.g. NGO’s, governments and other
international organizations. In particular, direct support for the APELL programme
has been received from the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA)
representing numerous national associations, multinational corporations, the
Governments of Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA; and
from international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) and the Commission of European Communities.
APELL is also a process that helps local people develop information and decisionmaking
procedures for addressing the hazards affecting their community. APELL
can be useful in any situation that requires joint planning for disasters by multiple
stakeholders. By engaging stakeholders in a process of structured dialogue and
coordination, APELL’s sequential 10-step approach leads to the development of a
the process not only develops the emergency plan, it also fosters awarenessraising,
collaboration and feedback within the community.
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