Trinidad & Tobago takes a step towards resilience with the draft of Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction

By: UNDRR – Americas

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago March 22nd 2018 – With the objective of formulating the Local Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) of the city of Port of Spain and applying the self-assessment tool for local resilience (Scorecard, Preliminary Level), a participatory workshop took place in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago this past 14th and 15th of March.

This workshop brought together the key local and national actors to jointly define strategies and objectives of DRR at a local level and it trained cadres of national and city high level officials to identify policies and interventions that could improve the resilience of the city. Part of the workshop was also devoted to drafting both the DRR Action Plan and the strategy on how to further finalize, ensure endorsement, and effectively implement the DRR Action Plan.

Urban risk is continually increasing; it has been estimated that, more than 50 per cent of the world's population is living in urban areas. In Trinidad & Tobago, within the past 20 years, the country's landscape has changed dramatically due to increased development, and the intensification of built infrastructure. In the next 20 years, the world's population is predicted to increase by an additional two billion. By 2030 more than 60% of the world's population is expected to live in cities, with record concentrations in large urban conglomerations and megacities in the developing world.

However, vulnerability of cities to disasters is on the rise. Planning and development of cities has given little consideration to the consequences of hazards such as earthquakes, hydro-meteorological risks and others. This highlights the importance of developing action plans that create safer, resilient cities by integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (CCA) within their planning processes.

The development of the action plans for cities contributes to the achievement of the target E of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), which aims "substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020."

To support local governments to achieve this target, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has developed a series of tools that allow cities to assess their resilience to disasters and formulate their action plan for disaster risk reduction at the local level. These tools are part of the Global Campaign "Making Cities Resilient: My City is getting ready!" (MCR) and the Ten Essential Aspects that respond to the guidelines and priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

Consequently, this workshop, engaged national and local actors in the field of development and planning of the DRR and CCA Agenda, and it enhanced country planners and decision makers' ability and commitment to promote DRR and CCA through relevant systems, policies and processes at local level. Additionally actors learned about the Making Cities Resilient Global Campaign and how its tools, materials and approaches can be used to build local resilience to disasters and to build capacities of experts and officials at local level with a focus on the MCR Campaign 10 Essentials. This workshop, which also counted on the participation of the United Nations Development Programme (PNUD), was possible thanks to the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/ OFDA).

About the Global Campaign "Making Cities Resilient: My City Getting Ready!"

The Global Campaign "Making Cities Resilient Campaign: My City Getting Ready!" promoted by UNDRR since 2010, addressing issues of local governance and urban risk in order to help disabled people reduce risk and increase resilience in the urban environment through the application of the Sendai Framework for the Reduction of Disaster Risk 2015-2030.

This campaign offers solutions and tools that allow stakeholders to identify gaps in their resolution and increase their capacity, knowledge and knowledge for development planning and risk management. Through the Campaign, cities become part of a broad alliance of resilient cities worldwide.

Related links:

Global Campaign "Making Cities Resilient Campaign: My City Getting Ready!

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

Trinidad & Tobago Country Document