Explaining the purpose of the consultations, Joanne Persad, Programme Manager, Response and Recovery, CDEMA said, “This meeting is expected to help us to plan better for these types of events, which are likely to occur with more frequency and intensity as a result of climate change factors. We will discuss the series of events as they unfolded such as, the early warning systems, emergency operations systems and response coordination among other areas. The intent is not to look for scapegoats but to look at what went well and what did not and to identify areas for improvement”
The report of the meetings is expected to address recommendations and present as a part of the way forward, a preliminary outline of a plan of action for the countries and CDEMA.
Participating in the meetings will be representatives from agencies with specific roles in disaster management. These will include, the National Disaster Office, Police, Public Utilities Companies, Ministries of Health, Transport and Works, Education, Agriculture, Public and other agencies which comprise the National Emergency Operations Management system, National Red Cross, , Meteorological Services and regional and international institutions, namely, CDEMA, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).
The consultations are being supported through the Comprehensive Disaster Management – Harmonised Implementation Programme (CDM-HIP) funded by United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
The second Consultation is scheduled to take place on November 6, 2014 in Saint Lucia.