CONTACT Magazine (Vol.19 No. 2 – June 2019)

Disaster preparedness
accounted for the highest incidence of mortality.
In 2014, a vulnerability assessment published by the
Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM)
in Trinidad and Tobago further detailed the actual and
potential hazards to which the country is exposed.
Natural
EARTHQUAKES
& AFTERSHOCKS
TSUNAMIS
LIQUEFACTION
MUD VOLCANOES
LATERAL
SPREADING
ACTUAL AND POTENTIAL HAZARDS TO
WHICH TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO IS EXPOSED
Seismic
HAZARDS LIST
FIRES
POLLUTION/CONTAMINATION:
air, water, soil, etc
LIGNITE COMBUSTION
Environmental
Social
Organisational
LOOTING, TERRORISM,
CYBER SABOTAGE
MAJOR ACCIDENTS:
transport, infrastructure failure, etc
INTERRUPTION
OF SERVICES:
power failure,
telecommunication, etc
Anthropogenic
not specifically include natural disasters. But, given the
prevalence of ICT, special attention must be paid to the
risks posed by cyber-security attacks (listed as #5)
Global top ten risks for doing business
1. Unemployment or underemployment
2. Failure of national governance
3. Energy price shock
4. Fiscal crises
5. Cyber-attacks
6. Profound social instability
7. Failure of financial mechanism or institution
8. Failure of critical infrastructure
9. Failure of regional and global governance
10. Terrorist attacks
Source: World Economic Forum, 2018
What do disasters cost?
TROPICAL
CYCLONES:
hurricanes/tropical storms
disturbances/depressions
FLOODING: land and sea borne
LANDSLIDES: falls, topples,
lateral spreads and flows
HIGH WINDS
MICROBURSTS
DROUGHT
TORNADOES
STORM SURGE
LIGHTNING
Hydrometeorological
Biological
DISEASE
infectious/non-infectious:
epidemics, pandemics, etc
HARMFUL ANIMALS:
bees, vectors: mosquitoes, rodents etc
Industrial
Technological
EXPLOSIONS
FIRES
SPILLS, LEAKS, AND
EMISSIONS:
gas, chemicals & other
hazardous substances
ODPM data for 2006-2010 show that the cost of damage
associated with natural disasters is steadily increasing.
HAZARD LOSSES, 2006-2010 (TT$)
POISONINGS
Source: Preliminary Vulnerability Assessment of Trinidad and Tobago, 2014, Office of Disaster
Preparedness & Management (ODPM), www.odpm.gov.tt
The perennial risk of flooding and landslides is strongest
in specific areas (see below).
The Pacific Disaster Centre (PDC) is currently engaged
in a collaborative project assisting Trinidad and Tobago
to complete a National Disaster Preparedness Baseline
Assessment (NDPBA).
Business risk
The World Economic Forum, in enumerating the “Top Ten”
general risks for doing business (see table below), does
Flood insurance claims (ATTIC)
Urgent Temporary Assistance (MPSD)
Relief items (ODPM)
Source: Disaster Risk Reduction Country Document, Trinidad and Tobago, 2014,
Office of Disaster Preparedness & Management (ODPM), www.odpm.gov.tt
Payments to farmers (MFPLMA)
Emergency Relief Fund (MHE)
TOTAL
Flood multi-risk map, Trinidad
Landslide multi-risk map, Trinidad
Source: Office of Disaster Preparedness & Management (ODPM), www.odpm.gov.tt
chamber.org.tt
JUNE 2019 27