6th Caribbean conference on comprehensive disaster management (CDM) comes to Port of Spain
From December 5-9, 2011, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), in association with its partners and in collaboration with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago through the Office for Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), will host the 6th Annual Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management under the theme CDM: Reflection, Introspection, Moving Forwardat the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) is the regional contribution to the United Nations’ International Strategy for Disaster Reduction’s (UNISDR) Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015, a blue print for global action in Disaster Risk Reduction. As such, this CDM Conference is a regional event of the UNISDR global platform and is structured to promote good practice, share ongoing research and chart the way forward for the advancement of CDM in the Caribbean. This important event also aims to provide a unique opportunity for facilitating networking among disaster management actors.
It is expected that in December, the region’s largest gathering of professionals in the fields of disaster management and professionals from sectoral and thematic fields, who have specific responsibilities in this area, will gather in Trinidad and Tobago for this five day event. Attending this event is an excellent opportunity to improve disaster risk management awareness and exchange information on good practices, while building stronger professional networks and as such we expect this year’s conference to be a rich and rewarding experience for all participants.
Some elements of this conference include professional development sessions, workshops and plenary sessions on issues such as the changing face of disaster risk management in the Caribbean; the evolving role of civil society in disaster risk management; the role of science, education and research in disaster risk management; strategies for effectively capturing disaster losses; use of information communication technology in managing disaster risk and strategies for effective disaster risk management policy and programming in small states. A Youth Forum and Film Festival will also be a key part of this year’s event.
In addition to the representatives from the disaster management offices from across the region and members of regional governments with responsibility for disaster management, this year’s conference will also be attended by Margareta Wahlstrom, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on Disaster Risk Reduction.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) is spearheading the local coordination of this event in close collaboration with government ministries and divisions such as Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, Customs and Excise Division, Immigration Division with support from state agencies such as the Tourism Development Company (TDC), Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (AATT), Public Transport Service Corporation and other pertinent agencies.
For further information on this conference, please contact the ODPM via telephone at 868 640 1285 ext 14240; via email at publicinfo.odpm@gmail.com or visit our website www.odpm.gov.tt or http://www.cdema.org/cdmconference/.