From Vulnerability to Resilience: Exchange of Disaster Risk Management Experiences in the Greater Caribbean Region

Managua, Nicaragua March 9th, 2018 — With the objective of identifying actions that support the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and its four priority for actions in the Greater Caribbean, the "From Vulnerability to Resilience Meeting - Exchange of DRR Experiences in the Greater Caribbean Region" was held in Managua, Nicaragua this past 7th and 8th of March. During the meeting, the Declaration of Managua was signed committing to advance the DRR agenda in the Great Caribbean. 

The organization of this meeting was part of the actions points of the Havana Action Plan 2016 - 2018 and of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), which highlighted in June 2016 the support for the implementation of the sustainable development goals and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) 2015-2030, and also refers to the organization of a meeting between disaster management agencies within their member countries.

"The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, highlights the fundamental need to increase resilience and special support for small island states such as the ones in the Caribbean, due to their high vulnerability and therefore possible disproportionate impact of disasters " said Mr. Raúl Salazar - Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Regional Office - The Americas adding that "it is worth noting that the Sendai Framework, also  highlights the impact of climate change in small island states as they have seen a recent increase in the frequency and intensity of natural hazards".

The Great Caribbean region has seen an increase in disasters linked to extreme weather events and climate change. Following the German watch Global Climate Risk Index 2018, within the period of 1997 to 2016, several of the countries in the Greater Caribbean were among the 20 most affected nations in the past 20 years. It should be noted that this excludes the impact of Tropical Storm Nate, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the landslides which occurred in Colombia on April 1st 2017.

The region's high vulnerability has resulted in a sustained increase in catastrophic losses, with a significant economic, social, health, cultural and environmental impact in the short, medium and long term, especially at the local and community level, and has had a strong influence on the long-term sustainable development of countries that are subject to regular or frequent exposure to disasters.

The meeting will provide a platform for the countries of the Greater Caribbean to collaborate in the search of regional management for improving and developing processes for the identification, prevention, mitigation, preparation for disaster risk, as well as the response and reconstruction in the event of disasters in the Greater Caribbean.

"This is a meeting at which all the sub-regions of the Greater Caribbean and their national and regional disaster risk reduction agencies will be present. It is also a unique opportunity to come to a consensus to determine the priorities and projects that are needed in the field of DRR for the Greater Caribbean." Arturo López-Portillo Contreras.

 The meeting was attended by Arturo López-Portillo Contreras - Director of Disaster Risk Reduction of the Association of Caribbean States (AEC), Ronald Jackson - Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Dr. Guillermo González – Minister- Director of National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and attention –(SINAPRED), Republic of Nicaragua, Pro Tempore President of the Special Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction of the ACS  and  Pro Tempore vice president of CEPREDENAC 2018, Dr. Iván Brenes -  President of the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Attention (CNE), Republic of Costa Rica,  Lic. Jorge Meléndez – Presidential Secretary of Vulnerability Affairs and General Director Civil Protection System, Republic of El Salvador, Lic. Sergio García –Executive Secretary of the National Coordination for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), Republic of Guatemala, Ing. Roy Barboza Sequeira – Executive Secretary of Coordination Center for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America (CEPREDENAC) and Raúl Salazar Chief of UNDRR Regional Office - The Americas.

Moreover, key representatives of disaster risk management agencies and regional organizations, as well as nationals of the four subregions of the Greater Caribbean: representatives of the CARICOM countries, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Republic Dominican Republic and The countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA). The event was made possible thanks to the United States Agency for International Development and Foreign Assistance (USAID / OFDA) and The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid operations (ECHO) who also attended the meeting.

 

Related Links:

Concept Note

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030

Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index 2018