PRESS RELEASE – REPRESENTATIVES of the Natural Disaster Risk Management Programme for the Caribbean Region (NDRM) is participating in the 10th edition of the Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM), held at the Melia Nassau hotel of Bahamas from December 4–9.
This conference, held under the theme, “The Road to Resilience – Check Point 2017: Building Resilience Through Partnerships”, gathered the most relevant decision-makers and professionals of disaster management, contributing to improve capacities and partnerships to fight climate change and strengthen disaster management strategies.
The Caribbean region is among the most vulnerable regions in the world. The recent succession of devastating hurricanes (starting with Harvey, then Irma, Jose and María) has hit the region, causing massive damages to people and infrastructures; at the same time, it had a huge negative impact on socio-economic outcomes.
The NDRM, funded by the European Union to support disaster risk and climate change reduction, will be exposing the activities carried out and the results achieved to reduce vulnerability to the long-term impacts of natural hazards and the impacts of variability of climate change, among relevant NDRM issues.
The main purpose of NDRM’s participation at this event is to help improve the capacities of Natural Disaster Organisations (NDOs) and other relevant national agencies in prioritised technical areas, and strengthen their capacities, as the most relevant coordinating bodies in the region.
Daniela Tramacere, EU Ambassador to Barbados, Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, CARICOM & CARIFORUM, stated that: “This is the most relevant event on disaster risk management for the region and it’s a great opportunity to gather professionals and experts in the fields, to come together and build stronger relationships and exchange of knowledge. By providing financial support to Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of Dominican Republic, the EU has contributed to developing regional networks and a platform of activities for better adaptation and resilience to climate change. Joining forces – this is what the EU is all about. Europe was built on cooperation, and it is in our DNA to build partnerships. Climate change is on top of our agenda and as a global challenge it can better be addressed together.”
The EU is committed with Disaster Risk Reduction supporting this programme but also humanitarian aid operations in support to the countries and the region after Hurricanes Irma and Maria through its Department on European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).
During these days, DRM practitioners and partners would have had the opportunity to join in different conferences and meetings to discuss and create new partnerships with the objective to align efforts to reduce climate change and work on disaster management risks.
From December 6-9, the NDRM in the CARIFORUM will exhibit its efforts and initiatives in its own stand, aiming to strengthen the capacities of CARIFORUM national and local governments and stakeholders in the implementation of a Comprehensive Disaster Management strategy.