While tsunamis are not common in the Caribbean – the last major one hit 75 years ago – people are well aware of the impact of storm surges and quick to get on board with the “Tsunami Ready” program.
Despite the deep scars left by the crisis, countries now have a fresh focus on health, resilience and regionalism plus a chance to fully incorporate disaster risk reduction into their recovery.
In the wake of the 2004 tsunami, coastal forests helped dampen damage from the tsunami. Building on this, an Indonesian NGO called 'Yagasu' are using mangroves to bolster ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, improve local livelihood, and aid in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Municipal officials working in urban development and planning, environmental management, civil defense, health, social affairs, among others, now have another way to discover and master the tools of the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative
Despite logistical hurdles thrown up by the pandemic, the all-encompassing disaster risk reduction strategies countries are steadily putting in place are already helping build resilience and score gains against international targets.
On September 9th, MCR2030 had its FIRST INPPERSON CAPACITY BUILDING in the Americas and the Caribbean! Under the guidance of MCR2030 Technical Advisor, Clément Da Cruz, and with the collaboration of the State of São Paulo Civil Defense, municipal officials from 14 cities in the state acquired practical knowledge on Disaster Risk Reduction, building urban resilience and using MCR2030's tool for self-assessment of resilience capacities for local governments - the Scorecard.
Menaced by increasingly ferocious and costly hurricanes, alongside eruptions, earthquakes and floods, Caribbean countries have made huge strides towards developing multi-hazard early warning systems (EWS).
The Caribbean’s fragile economy is being battered by the pandemic that is keeping tourists from its tropical beaches and leaving heavily-indebted countries ill-prepared to cope with violent hurricanes and other emergencies, say experts.
Trinidadian entrepreneur Stacey-Ann Pi Osoria has built her one-woman business on emergencies. Selling inflatable sandbags, flood barriers and mobile shelters, she provides the vital equipment and training her clients need to reduce their disaster risk
