According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida, as of 5:00 PM (AST) on September 10, 2018, the center of Hurricane Isaac was located near latitude 14.4 North, longitude 45.0 West. On the forecast track, Isaac is expected to move across the Lesser Antilles and into the eastern Caribbean Sea on Thursday. Maximum sustained winds remain near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts.
Read more: CDEMA Information Note #1 - Hurricane Isaac as of 6:00PM (AST) on September 10, 2018
Disaster recovery is an intensive process which requires large inputs of labour, time and financial resources. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) places emphasis on mobilising finances for recovery through an initiative called the “CDEMA Legacy Project”. The aim of the Legacy Project is to improve the physical living conditions of the most vulnerable persons in the most adversely affected areas of the impacted States.
Bridgetown, Barbados July 16th, 2018 – The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency Coordinating Unit (CDEMA CU) and the Regional Security System Headquarters (RSS HQ) convened a second training workshop of the CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit (CDRU) to serve the region during the period August 2018 to July 2019. The training workshop is taking place from July 16 – 20, 2018, at the Frank Walcott Labour College in St. Phillip, Barbados with funding support from the United States Government through the US Southern Command.
Read more: 2nd Batch of the CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit being trained in Barbados
St. John, Antigua, June 28th, 2018 (NODS) - The two-million US dollar China-funded roofing restoration project on Barbuda has met and exceeded the target of 250 homes, just days before the June 30 deadline.
The initiative, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the government of Antigua and Barbuda, focused on repairing the roofs of houses that received minor and major damage, or those categorized between levels one and three.
Read more: China-funded roofing project on Barbuda meets target of 250 homes
Bridgetown, Barbados, June 28th, 2018 (CDEMA) – The Sixth (6th) Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was held in Cartagena, Colombia from the 20th-22nd June 2018 and brought together representatives from governments, inter-governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, parliamentarians and leaders. This year’s theme “Towards a Less Vulnerable Region with more Resilient Communities” was said by Ronald Jackson, Executive Director to CDEMA, to have come at a critical juncture in the CARICOM’s efforts to implement the Sendai Framework Priorities through the Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy.
The representatives of the NDRM-CARIFORUM participated in the sixth edition of the Regional Platform for the reduction of natural risks in the Americas, held in Colombia.
The VI Regional Platform for the reduction of natural risks in the Americas was held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, between June 20th and 22nd of 2018. This sixth edition brought together government agencies, representatives of the private sector, and members of civil society from the different states of the Americas and the Caribbean to exchange experiences and learnings in the field of natural disaster risk management and the strengthening of resilience in the countries and communities of the region.
National partners in Dominica as well as St. Vincent and the Grenadines recently validated Early Warning Systems (EWS) survey results as continuation of a process to strengthen EWS through leveraging of best practices, tools and knowledge. The survey, which is structured around the four key elements of effective early warning systems, was a simple list of the main elements and actions that national governments or community organizations can refer to when developing or evaluating early warning systems, or simply checking that crucial procedures are in place.
Read more: Gaps Identified as Early Warning Systems Work Advances
Bridgetown, Barbados, May 31st, 2018 (CDEMA) – In the Aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which significantly impacted the islands of the Caribbean in September 2017, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) launched the “CDEMA Legacy Project”. The aim of this project is to support the recovery and reconstruction efforts in Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Turks & Caicos Islands, which were severely impacted. In light of this, emphasis is placed on assisting single, female-headed families, the elderly, and persons with physical and mental challenges.
Officials from the education, child protection and disaster management sectors from 14 Caribbean countries joined development partners in Barbados this week to discuss the lessons learned from last year’s devastating hurricanes and strategize how to position the education sector to guarantee continuation education and protection in future impacts.
