Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency

Empowering Coastal Communities to Prepare for and Respond to Tsunamis and Coastal Hazards
Profiles for member states of CDERA

Summary

The Sumatran catastrophe 2004 demonstrated the potential destructive power of tsunamis and has in the process qualified the risk exposure that a region faces without a suitable risk reduction program. Following the catastrophe, CARICOM’s Community Council determined that its regional disaster management institution – the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) – should support regional efforts to establish a TCHWS on behalf of the CARICOM Member States. The Caribbean and adjacent regions as a whole are now coordinating through the International Oceanographic Commission/Inter-governmental Cooperation Group (IOC/ICG) to implement a TCHWS, including long term mitigation measures and a program to educate and prepare the region for future events.

In support of the region’s efforts, the United States Agency for International Development/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) has provided a grant of US$475,200.00 to empower coastal communities in the Caribbean to prepare for and respond to tsunamis and coastal hazards. This two year initiative which commences in October 2007, is the first of its kind in the Caribbean and is expected to be the catalyst for benchmarking the standards and protocols for this type of hazard in the region. The intent is to harness the expertise and experiences from existing institutions, develop and adopt a regional and national system which will save lives as it seeks to educate and prepare the communities at risk making them less prone to tsunamis, storm surges, flash floods and other hydro meteorological hazards.

The primary objective of the Tsunami & Coastal Hazards Warning System – (TCHWS) Project is to support the establishment of an effective end-to-end Tsunami warning system at the regional and national levels, and to undertake public education and awareness campaigns to prepare coastal communities for actions to be taken when a warning is issued

Specific project results include:

  • Increased public awareness within communities in CDERA’s Participating States
  • Institutionalized tsunami and coastal hazards awareness and tools through the provision of teaching modules
  • Improved access to web-based alert and warning information
  • Improved notification to at-risk population in CDERA’s Participating States
  • Improved notification to at-risk population in CDERA’s Participating States.

In addition, the CDERA CU will have developed a methodology for Tsunami Early Warning System.
The project will be executed by CDERA, in conjunction with the Seismic Research Unit the University of the West Indies, the National Meteorological Offices and the Coastal Zone Management Agencies in CDERA Participating States.

Each agency will bring to bear its respective institutional mandate, expertise, and regional constituencies to the execution of the project. The CDERA will serve as the project’s Executing Agency while the Seismic Research Unit/University of the West Indies and the other technical agencies will provide their expertise and experience to different aspects of the project, playing a direct role in the development of the warning and dissemilation protocols and the public awareness programmes.

At the end of the project in September 2009, the beneficiaries of the project will include:

  • The general public will benefit from media campaigns and awareness materials prepared for the same. Products will be available through TV, radio, web-accessed, print media.
  • Teachers and students will benefit from materials produced for classroom use.
  • National authorities – including disaster management, emergency and meteorological services – and at-risk communities will benefit from having clearly defined “to the last mile” warning dissemination protocols and procedures in place.