Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 22, 2020 (SKNIS): The Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC)/National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Education Programme was officially launched on October 22, 2020.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Leighton Naraine, Director of Institutional and Programme Development at the CFBC, said that the programme was conceptualized by CFBC and developed in partnership with NEMA and funded by the USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).
The Research Triangular Institute (RTI), which is based in Costa Rica, represents the USAID BHA and has oversite of the project with technical expertise and competencies in disaster risk reduction and management within Latin America and the Caribbean countries and under the Regional Disaster Risk Assistance Programme (RDAP), noted Dr. Naraine.
He stated that the hallmarks of the curriculum are professional educators, the trainees, and social milieu.
Dr. Naraine said that the purpose of the programme is to build capacity through education as well as strengthening the relationships with organizations and people in communities “in order to build adaptive capacities vis-à-vis natural hazards and anthropogenic or human hazards that are ever-present and posing risks to human life, property and the environment of which we are a part.”
“Adaptive capacities will help us to build resilience in the event of a disaster relating to any of those hazards,” he said.
The programme, which utilizes the CEDEMA framework consists of six modules, which will be publicized, said Dr. Naraine. He added that the project is expected to develop a cadre of trainees who would become trainers and to further build capacity in the mainstream of the education system and in communities.
“The trainees will collaborate with the trainers now. They will become trainers and take it far and wide into the depths of our communities,” he said.
The launch follows all the preparation needed before delivering the sessions that will begin on October 26, 2020, said Dr. Naraine.
Samantha Fox, Director of Student Services, gave remarks on behalf of the President of CFBC, Jacqueline Austin, who said “sometimes the value for educational programmes can be overlooked, but we do hope that lessons learned in these sessions would be well received as it can be the difference between life and death.”
“Living in the Caribbean Region puts us at risk for a number of hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, and tsunamis,” she said. “While hazards are certainly not preventable their disastrous impact can be mitigated via preventative measures such as Disaster Risk Reduction Education such as we are launching today.”
It was noted that CFBC is proud to have received the only award granted to a Caribbean country among Latin America and the Caribbean to the call for papers under the RDAP theme of “Use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels including supporting DRR in primary and secondary education, strengthening coping mechanisms for high-risk populations, institutionalizing higher education in DRR.”
Dr. Austin said that DRR Education can save lives, prevent injury and build people’s resilience to hazards.
“A disaster risk reduction approach helps us consider our emergency response activities in light of existing and new disaster risks,” she said. “This enables us to design or adjust our activities so that our people and communities become safer and more disaster resilient.”
Dr. Austin added that the programme aims to “provide the knowledge, skills and attitudes that the public needs in order to develop resiliency to natural and manmade hazards that pose risks to lives, property and the economy in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
She noted that the programme will become a model for other Caribbean countries to adapt to reduce risks of potential disasters in their communities.
]]>NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS October 13, 2020 (Nevis Island Administration) — The following is a message from Mr. Brian Dyer, Director of the Nevis Disaster Management Department (NDMD) for International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDR) observed on October 13, 2020. He made the presentation at the Nevis COVID-19 Emergency Centre Operations Briefing at Long Point on October 12, 2020.
The United Nations Office of Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), formerly known as the United Nations for International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), designated October 13th to commemorate the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR).
The aim is to promote a global culture of disaster reduction including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness. The event solidifies the global process and achievements thus far towards the Sendai Framework Seven Global Targets to be achieved by the year 2030.
Held on the 13th of October, the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction began in 1989. This day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters, and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks they face.
It is also an opportunity to acknowledge the substantial progress being made toward the reduction of disaster risk, losses in lives, livelihoods and health. Additionally, it also measures the progress made in the economic, physical, social, cultural, environmental and assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries.
The Sendai Seven Campaign promotes each of the seven targets of the Sendai Framework over seven years. The focus for this year 2020 is on Target (e): To substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by the end of 2020.
This year’s theme, “It’s all about Governance/Good Disaster Risk Governance,” emphasises the focus towards effective management of a country’s resources towards disaster risk reduction.
At the local level, it is critical for the legislative framework to keep pace with the growth of our development of the island. Policy development continues in partnership with allied agencies.
The Nevis Disaster Management Department has partnered with our communities to identify and map hazards in the communities in addition to developing response plans. Training of persons to enhance our volunteer pool and develop management structures are ongoing in our communities.
The success of our public awareness campaign depends largely on a participatory approach that engages a wide range of stakeholders. This strategy involves schools, faith-based organisations, government agencies, the business sector, regional and international partners in the promotion of awareness of disaster prevention and managing disaster risks.
Given the current circumstances, the NDMD will host some virtual activities throughout this week and the rest of October as we encourage the general public to view these activities on our website: ndmd.kn and our social media pages, NDMD outlets and ndmd.kn on Facebook and other social media pages.
Finally, the need to build our resilience and reduce the vulnerability of our society has now become more crucial than ever. The response to the COVID pandemic and a record setting year for the most named storms in the Tropical Atlantic, has the potential to overwhelm our island’s limited resources and exceed our capacity to cope with the new challenges.
It is imperative therefore, that we are armed with the knowledge of what to do before, during and after each impact. Our vulnerability to disasters can only be minimized through effective risk reduction and maximising the use of our resources. I appeal to everyone to act responsibly, join the effort of building a resilient nation. So, let’s Plan! Prepare! and Protect!
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