Countries finalise hazard maps
By CDERA
Tue, 10 Jan 2006, 09:57
Barbados, Jan 10, 2006 (CDERA) – Three Caribbean countries are finalising hazard maps which will be used in future planning as a part of their safe and resilient development thrust.
Representatives from the Physical Planning departments, Lands and Surveys, Coastal Zone, national disaster offices, and private sector utilities in Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Belize will be presented with the hazard maps during workshops this week and next week for comment and finalisation.
The maps were developed by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) through its Caribbean Hazard Mitigation Capacity Building Programme (CHAMP) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) through its Disaster Mitigation Facility for the Caribbean (DMFC).
Grenada’s maps focus on flood, landslide, and coastal erosion. For St Lucia, they are on flood, landslide, and wind/wave/storm surge. Belize has focused on coastal erosion and wind/wave/storm surge.
Participants in each country will have the opportunity to review the maps, validate the information, evaluate the methodology, and devise methods for updating and maintaining the data.
The idea behind the mapping is to assist the Physical Planning department in making decisions on planning applications so as to achieve safe and resilient development in the future which in turn will reduce the level of damage from these hazards.
Meetings will be held January 10-11, 2006 (Grenada Grand Beach), January 12-13, 2006 (Ministry of Communications, Works, Transport and Public Utilities Conference Room, Saint Lucia), and January 19, 2006 (National Emergency Management Organisation Conference Room, Belize).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Liz Riley
Programme Manager
Mitigation and Research Unit, CDERA
Tel: (246) 425-0386
Email: cdera@caribsurf.com