Jamaica: Disaster risk workshop to present results of country risk evaluation

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to stage a two-day National Workshop on Disaster Risk Indicators for Jamaica, from Monday, August 23, to Tuesday, August 24, at its head office in Kingston.

According to the Director of Sustainable Development & Regional Planning at the PIOJ, Claire Bernard, the workshop is geared to enhancing knowledge and awareness of Jamaica's disaster risks, and facilitating sector dialogue with the Government of Jamaica on disaster risk management prioritization and opportunities for IDB support.

She said that the workshop will help the PIOJ to improve its planning, as well as its capacity to deal with hazard risks and shocks.

"If you can estimate the potential risks in an area, then you can build better facilities or use higher level design standards so that, in the event of a hurricane or earthquake for example, the structure will withstand it better," she explained in an interview with JIS News.

Continuing she said that "businesses will also be more aware of what they need to do to facilitate continuity after a disaster, or what kind of disaster will shut them down".

Ms. Bernard stated that these workshops are essential for the progression and achievement of the Vision 2030 National Development Plan, especially its national outcome of 'Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change'.

Over the two days of the workshop, Division Chief in the Environment, Rural

Development and Disaster Risk Management Division at the IDB, Hector Malarin, along with other senior technocrats from the IDB will present the Bank's integrated disaster risk management plan, which is based on comprehensive action in risk analysis, prevention, mitigation, emergency responses and disaster rehabilitation.

In December 2009, the IDB completed a country risk evaluation for Jamaica, as part of the technical cooperation "Country-Specific Risk Evaluations for Bolivia, Guatemala, Jamaica and Peru".

The national workshop will present the results of the country risk evaluation of Jamaica to national authorities.