CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana,  January 29, 2010 - The Bureau of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has mandated the CARICOM Secretariat to establish a small dedicated unit to co-ordinate CARICOM’s continued assistance to Haiti over the long term in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake which struck that country on 12 January.

Several of CDEMA Participating States have been experiencing moderate to extreme dry conditions since January 2009. The situation is becoming critical as meteorologists continue to predict below average rainfall in the coming months. Several countries have reported marked depletions of water resources and the adverse effects the drought conditions are having on the agriculture sector.

Drought Alerts have been issued by the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) for several countries in south-eastern Caribbean including Barbados, Grenada, and Saint Lucia. Guyana,Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are also on Drought Alert. These countries have begun implementing measures to curtail the effects of impending water shortage.
Concerns on the depleted level of stored water resources water and the existing dry conditions has led to the implementation of a water rationing system by the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) since early February.
Barbados has seen a decrease in foliage levels and a marked increase in the occurrence of bush fires compared to the same period last year. There are no water restrictions at this time; however authorities are closely monitoring the water resources.  Click here to read more