INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW OF THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT MECHANISM IN BARBADOS
CARIBBEAN DISASTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCY
May 15, 2004
Institutional Review of the Disaster Management Mechanism in Barbados
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW OF THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT MECHANISM IN BARBADOS
This report was produced under: Performance Contract Number: Project Number:
BAR/2003/CDM/INS-REV-001 CAR/00/002/01/99 and CAR/00/002/07/99
For the: CARIBEAN DISASTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCY Building # 1, Manor Lodge Complex Lodge Hill, St. Michael Barbados
The contract was executed by the resource firms: ISLAND RESOURCES FOUNDATION 6292 Estate Nazareth, #100 St. Thomas, VI 00802 U.S. Virgin Islands, USA and ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT SERVICES, LLC P.O. Box 305031 St. Thomas, VI 00803-5031 U.S. Virgin Islands, USA
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CONTENTS Page # List of Tables & Figures Acronyms Executive Summary
3 4 5
1. 1.1 1.2
INTRODUCTION Purpose Background
7 7 7
2.
APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
8
3. 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4
BARBADOS DISASTER MANAGEMENT MECHANISM Institutional Framework Current Disaster Management Programming CDM and the Political Process National Disaster Organisation
8 8 13 36 37
4. 4.1 4.2
BARBADOS NATIONAL CDM STRATEGY AND PROGRAMME Strategic Framework Implementation Arrangements and Required Resources
47 47 51
Bibliography
52
APPENDICES Appendix 1: Terms of Reference Appendix 2: Biographical Sketches of Team Members Appendix 3: Contact List Appendix 4: Disaster Management Activities of Selected Institutions
55 58 59 62
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LIST OF TABLES Page # Table 1: Members of the Barbados Coordinating Advisory Council
9
Table 2: Summary Findings of Institutional Review
33
LIST OF FIGURES Page # Figure 1: Organisational Chart for Emergency Planning in Barbados
11
Figure 2: Proposed Structure for BNEMA
39
Figure 3: Recommended Staffing Level for BNEMA
40
Figure 4: Institutional Arrangements for Disaster Management in Barbados
44
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ACRONYMS BNEMA
Barbados National Emergency Management Agency
CAC
Coordinating Advisory Council
CADM
Caribbean Disaster Management [Project]
CERO
Central Emergency Relief Organization
CDERA
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency
CDM
Comprehensive Disaster Management
CPACC
Caribbean Project for Adaptation to Climate Change
DEO
District Emergency Organisation
EIA
Environmental Impact Assessment
EOC
Emergency Operations Centre
GIS
Geographic Information System
NDO
National Disaster Organization
PERT
Parish Emergency Response Team
UNDP
United Nations Development Programme
USAID
United States Agency for International Development
UVI
University of the Virgin Islands
UWI
University of the West Indies
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The institutional review of the disaster management mechanism in Barbados was commissioned by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), and formed part of a study to determine the extent to which comprehensive disaster management (CDM) was being promoted and implemented in CDERA member countries. The review focused on the institutional framework for disaster management, including the collaborative arrangements, and was based primarily on interviews with representatives of national institutions during the period January 12-16, 2004. Documentation provided by the institutions consulted, as well as by CDERA, was also reviewed. The preliminary findings from the review were presented to the representatives of national organizations on February 11, 2004, after which additional interviews were conducted on February 12-13, 2004. The main findings of the review are: •
Disaster management arrangements in Barbados are based on a model established in 1940, a model that focuses primarily on providing relief after an event.
•
There is a central coordinating structure for declared disasters, the Central Emergency Response Organization (CERO), which comprises the main emergency response institutions and a Secretariat. The evolution of disaster management in Barbados has resulted in the central coordinating mechanism being expanded to the current structure, which is composed of the Coordinating Advisory Body, the Secretariat, and twelve Standing Committees.
•
The central process is supplemented at the community level by District Emergency Organizations and Parish Emergency Response Teams.
•
The disaster management mechanism in Barbados is still largely focused on response. Additionally, that response is geared primarily towards hurricane s and floods. The capacity and procedures to deal with pest or disease-related disasters are not adequately developed.
•
The collaborating institutions also have legal responsibilities for some aspects of disaster management, primarily preparation and mitigation.
•
The disaster management mechanism in Barbados has adequately responded to the small disasters in recent years. Training and simulation exercises continue, though not at the desired level of participation.
•
Sector planning is at a very low level, and substantial work in assessment and planning within the main economic sectors is necessary.
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•
The main institution for disaster management does not currently possess adequate capacity to lead the CDM process.
•
There is a substantial amount of activities that contribute to the disaster management process, but those activities need to be coordinated, and in some cases, re-focused.
•
The strengthening of the main disaster management institution, CERO, is currently receiving attention by the Government of Barbados.
•
The level of public awareness concerning disasters is very high.
The many activities that contribute to disaster management are not designed or articulated within the context of comprehensive disaster management, as defined by the 2001 strategy produced by CDERA. As such, there is an urgent need to consolidate and promote the policy and legislative framework for disaster management. In this regard, a two-year programme is proposed by this report. The main elements of the proposed programme are: • Development of a National CDM Framework for Barbados; • Development of a National CDM Strategy and Plan; • Capacity Building for CERO; and • Revitalisation of the District Emergency Organisations. The above programme elements are necessary pre-requisites for the development of a disaster management system that supports the development planning process in Barbados.
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INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW OF THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT MECHANISM IN BARBADOS
1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Purpose
This report presents the findings of an institutional review of the disaster management mechanism in Barbados. The review was undertaken in an effort to determine the adequacy of the national disaster organizations for promoting and implementing the comprehensive disaster management (CDM) agenda at the national level. The findings of the review were subsequently used to develop a national CDM strategy and programme for Barbados.
1.2
Background
The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), with the financial assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), developed the Caribbean Strategic Framework for Comprehensive Disaster Management in 2001. The CDM Framework identified five Intermediate Results that must be implemented in order to achieve the Strategy’s overall strategic objective of having “Comprehensive Disaster Management … integrated into the development processes of CDERA member countries”. The subsequent experience with national adoption of the CDM process has identified the need for more immediate attention to be paid to the ability of national institutions to effectively lead the CDM process. CDERA therefore commissioned this institutional review to determine the capacity of the national disaster organizations in Barbados and Grenada to promote and implement the CDM process at the national level. The assessment was guided by the Terms of Reference (Appendix 1) developed by CDERA, and executed by a consulting team (Appendix 2) drawn from Island Resources Foundation and Environmental Support Services, LLC. The consultant from Island Resources Foundation conducted the Grenada review, while the consultant from Environmental Support Services conducted the Barbados review.
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2.
APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
The approach taken to the assignment was dictated by the constraints of time and financial resources, and consisted of the following elements: •
Literature Review – The documentation on CDM and related products provided by CDERA was reviewed. Similarly, review of the documentation provided by the national institutions was used as a means of verification of products of the disaster management process in Barbados, as well as an assessment of the degree to which CDM has been incorporated into the routine decision making processes.
•
Interviews – The consultant interviewed representatives of national institutions during the period January 12-16, 2004 (Appendix 3). A preliminary list of institutions to be consulted was provided by the consulting team, but the final list of institutions contacted was determined by the National Disaster Organisation, the Central Emergency Relief Organization (CERO). A number of persons were also interviewed during the period February 12-13, 2004, following the presentation of the findings to the national organizations on February 11, 2004.
•
The national organizations conducted a review of the preliminary report of the assessment on February 11, 2004. The responses and guidance from that process were incorporated into this report.
3.
BARBADOS DISASTER MANAGEMENT MECHANISM
3.1
Institutional Framework
Disaster management in Barbados is based on a model established in 1940, a model that was developed primarily to provide relief to the general populace after an emergency event. That model is comprised of an institutional framework wherein the traditional emergency response agencies (e.g. fire service and police) are brought under the coordination of a central permanent secretariat once a disaster has been declared. This grouping of central emergency organizations and secretariat is the Central Emergency Relief Organization (CERO). CERO is comprised of the Coordinating Advisory Council (CAC) (Table 1), twelve subcommittees of the CAC (called the Standing Committees – Box 1), and the CERO Secretariat. The CAC is comprised of representatives from the main organizations participating in the disaster management process in Barbados, while the Standing Committees are comprised of members of the CAC and a wide range of public, private, and civil society institutions.
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Table 1: Members of the Barbados Coordinating Advisory Council • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Home Affairs Director of Emergency Services – CERO Chief Fire Officer – Barbados Fire Service Commissioner of Police Chief Information Officer – Government Information Service Chief Agricultural Officer Chief Community Development Officer – Community Development Department Chief of Staff – Barbados Defence Force Director – Statistical Services Chief Medical Officer – Ministry of Health Chief Technical Officer – Ministry of Public Works Airport Manager – Grantly Adams Int’l Airport Chief Telecom. Officer – Telecommunications Division Chief Education Officer – Ministry of Education Technical Director, Aviation – Grantly Adams Int’l Airport Chief Welfare Officer – Welfare Department General Manager – Barbados Port Authority Chief Housing Planner – Division of Housing Executive Director – Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry Director – Barbados Meteorological Services General Manager – National Housing Corporation Chief Town Planner Director – Coastal Zone Management Unit Chief Environmental Engineer – Environmental Engineering Division Permanent Secretary – Prime Minister's Office Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Social Transformation Commandant – St. John Ambulance Brigade Disaster Preparedness Officer – Barbados Red Cross Society Chairman – Barbados Christian Council
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Box 1: Standing Committees of the CAC • • • • • • • • • • • •
Emergency Services Committee Public Information and Education Damage Assessment and Statistics Health Services – Medical and Public Health Food and General Supplies Public Utilities, Road Clearance and Tree Trimming Welfare Services Shelters Telecommunications Housing and Rehabilitation Committee Emergency Transport National Mitigation Committee
The CERO structure is complimented at the community level by Parish Emergency Response Teams (PERTs) (comprised of public sector personnel) and the District Emergency Organisations (DEOs) (comprised of volunteers). During an actual event, the Emergency Operations Centre (coordinated by CERO) is activated. The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is comprised primarily of members of the CAC, and these are organized as Emergency Response Teams. This mixture of centralized, parish, and volunteer organizations constitute the disaster management network for Barbados (Figure 1). This traditional focus on emergency response and relief has resulted in a system with two linked, but distinct, components. The first is the disaster response mechanism coordinated by CERO, and the second is the disaster-related work conducted independently (and sometimes routinely) by the various collaborating agencies (Section 3.2). These distinct components have to be woven into a more cohesive strategy if CDM theory and practice is to become integrated into the development planning processes. This cohesion can be achieved through the articulation of a national disaster management strategy and plan (Sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2).
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Figure 1: Organisational Chart for Emergency Planning in Barbados1 CABINET MINISTER
COORDINATING ADVISORY COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
CERO SECRETARIAT
DISTRICT ORGANISATIONS
VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS SERVICE CLUBS
MINISTRIES, DEPARTMENTS & STATUTORY BOARDS
EMERGENCY PLAN
1
Diagram provided by CERO Secretariat
STANDING COMMITTEES
EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS
3.1.1
CERO-Coordinated Response Mechanism The mandate of CERO has changed from a focus on providing post-event relief to multi-hazard planning and mitigation. Currently, the institution is responsible for managing natural and man-made hazards, including; hurricanes, floods, landslides, oil spills, large fires, aircraft crashes, and large-scale vehicular crashes. The CERO-coordinated process includes two main components: • Response Planning; and • Response Coordination.
a.
Response Planning Response planning takes place on an ongoing basis. However, its most tangible expression is the commencement of activities at the start of the Hurricane Season. Specific planning activities associated with the CEROcoordinated process include: • Convening of the CAC in March in order to review the level of preparedness, consider reports from the various agencies, and to plan for the coming season; • Preparation of institutional disaster preparedness plans in support of the national response efforts (e.g. the 2003 Disaster Preparedness Plan prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture); • Implementation of a public awareness programme, which includes the dissemination of information through a variety of mechanisms and a number of public and civil society institutions; • Assessment of shelters, and updating of shelter information; • Updating of the food provision plan for the shelters; • Assessment of the adequacy of the health facilities to deal with the aftermath of a disaster; • Survey of private health (and related) facilities to provide support services and materials; • Survey of building material inventories; • Compilation of response assets (vehicles, etc.) in each ministry/agency; and • Periodic simulations for specific types of disaster events (aircraft crash, cruise ship accident, etc.). The detailed planning during the period between disasters is conducted through the work of the Standing Committees. These Standing Committees include a range of specialized institutions and individuals who are not necessarily represented on the CAC.
Institutional Review of the Disaster Management Mechanism in Barbados
b.
Response Coordination Once a disaster is declared, CERO activates the CAC and the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), which then provides a centralized coordinating function. Response-related activities that are not controlled from the EOC include: • Shuttering of the main government offices (Ministry of Works); • Shelter operations (Ministry of Education); • Selection and placement of First Aiders (Barbados Red Cross); • Crowd control and security; and • Damage assessment.
The general consensus of the institutions consulted is that the levels of planning, existing institutional resources, and response expertise are adequate to deal with the small events Barbados normally experiences. Concern was frequently expressed about the ability of the system to adequately respond to a major event. This concern was mainly about the staffing and equipment capacity, and because the existing response system has never been tested by a major event.
3.2
Current Disaster Management Programming
Though the disaster-related activities of the various institutions are focused primarily on the CERO-coordinated process, a number of the activities that fall within the general mandates of those institutions are also associated with disaster management (Appendix 4). Those activities are conducted as part of their regular programming, and implemented independently of the CERO-coordinated process.
3.2.1
Legal Authority
The legal authority for disaster management in Barbados is vested in several institutions. A number of the laws deal directly with activities and processes that are activated on the declaration of a State of Emergency. Other bits of legislation address the routine functions of the “traditional emergency” services, while yet others provide for non-emergency mandates that support the disaster management process. Examples include2: (a) Agriculture: • Plant Pest and Disease (Eradication) Act – Ministry of Agriculture – provisions for pest and disease eradication; and 2
Source: Interviews and the Caribbean Law Institute 1992.
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•
Soil Conservation (Scotland District) Act – Ministry of Agriculture – provisions for soil conservation and erosion prevention.
(b)
Landuse/Development: • Town and Country Planning Act – Town & Country Development Planning Office – provides for the orderly development of land, and control over land use; • Barbados National Building Code 1993 – Town & Country Development Planning Office – provides for integration and enforcement of building design to address hazards; and • Highways Act and Flood Prevention Act – Ministry of Public Works – provisions for road-clearing and flood protection.
(c)
Emergency Services: • Fire Services Act (Cap 163) – Fire Services – dictates the authority to be exercised in an emergency.
(d)
Pollution: • Oil in Navigable Waters Act – Oil spill response.
(e)
Health Services: • Health Services Act – Ministry of Health – provides for general population health, disease control, etc.; • Sanitation Service Authority Act – Sanitation Service Authority (Ministry of Health) – provides for collection and disposal of solid wastes.
Given the existing scenario, there are aspects of the policy and legislative framework that require attention in order to achieve the desired results. There are also current initiatives that can be used as launching pads for the actions that are considered to be necessary to further integrate disaster management into the routine development planning processes. Supporting Initiatives/Strengths •
The Cabinet has approved the adoption of the CDM framework as the official disaster management framework for Barbados. This provides a clear policy position, which is often the most difficult hurdle to overcome. As such, the way is clear for the development of strategic and programmatic imperatives.
•
The National Physical Development Plan (Amended 2003) includes policies for the integration of disaster management issues into the development planning process. This is a major achievement, for which the subsequent steps should be the development of the appropriate planning/evaluation guidelines/primers for use in sectoral, economic, and land use planning.
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•
CERO was established in 1940 by the authority of the Governor and Executive Council. As such, the current legislation and practice provide sufficient authority for response coordination. The proposed legislative revisions will broaden the role, and strengthen the authority, of CERO as the lead agency for disaster management.
•
It is generally agreed that the 1993 edition of the Barbados National Building Code adequately deals with hazards. Private engineers have been using the Code, particularly when designing public buildings. The preparation of the enabling legislation for the Code will provide the support for enforcement.
Areas Needing Special Attention •
The mandate and authority of CERO has not changed since it was established in 1940. As such, its current authority does not allow the organization to adequately manage the CDM process. A proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs for the development of the legislative support to reorganize CERO. That proposal is still under consideration, and the enabling legislation has not yet been submitted to Cabinet. Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Home Affairs.
•
Housing policy in the Ministry of Housing does not address the issue of natural disasters. However, the Housing Planning Unit of the Ministry participates in the CERO-coordinated process by contacting the suppliers of building materials in May of each year to check inventories. The Unit also participates in the social survey of impacted areas after the event. Additionally, the National Housing Corporation is required to provide temporary housing for displaced persons. The national shelter policy needs to deal more comprehensively with disaster management due to the fact that: (a) there are a number of groups at risk, particularly squatters; (b) a large percentage of the housing stock in Barbados is wooden, which, as Hurricane Lili demonstrated, is very vulnerable to natural hazards; (c) the wooden architecture in Barbados is of particular heritage value; and (d) there is inadequate enforcement of the building codes for residential development, which comprise approximately sixty percent (60%) of the buildings in Barbados. Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Housing and Environment.
•
The 1998 coastal zone management strategy and plan provides the framework for development control in the entire coastal zone of Barbados. Yet, though the Plan deals with issues such as setbacks based on storm surge potential, there is no specific treatment of natural hazards. As such, issues such as the placement of critical social services (such as fire stations), conducting inter-agency damage assessments, and debris clean-up in the coastal zone are not adequately addressed
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in either the coastal zone management or CERO-coordinated processes. The same inadequate treatment is apparent in other major policy documents and status reports (housing policy, 2000 State of the Environment Report, etc.). The major new policy, the Sustainable Development Policy (2003), has only a short section (Section 21) on disaster management. A serious review of the different policy directions on disaster management would be useful. Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Housing and Environment. •
As shown above, there are various bits of policy and legislation dealing with the issue of natural and man-made disasters. The consolidation and linking of related provisions in the existing laws is a missing link in the existing debate on policies and legislation. Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Home Affairs.
•
Barbados is a densely populated country, with a small number of key economic sectors. Given the high vulnerability of the country to more than one form of natural disaster (UNEP 2002), the requirement for sector vulnerability assessments and plans should be part of the economic planning process. Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Finance.
Recommended Course of Action a.
A review and gap analysis of the current policies should be conducted in order to ensure that disaster management is given more through treatment, and to ensure that the intent and strategies are consistent across the sectoral policies and plans. Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Housing and Environment.
b.
A number of structural and legislative changes are proposed for CERO. The proposed changes should be undertaken within the context of the policy and legislative review recommended above. Additionally, the proposed staffing levels are likely to be inadequate to undertake the various tasks expected of the lead institution (Section 3.4). Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Home Affairs.
c.
The disaster management policies in the national development plan need to be translated into sectoral, economic, and land use planning/evaluation guidelines/primers. Institution with primary responsibility – Town & Country Development Planning Office.
d.
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) process is ten (10) years old, and does not adequately deal with natural hazard issues. The Town & Country Development Planning Office has confirmed that it is in the process of
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reviewing the development of models for incorporation of natural hazard assessment into the EIA process. Institution with primary responsibility – Town & Country Development Planning Office.
3.2.2
Hazard Analysis and Multi-Year Development Planning
Comprehensive Disaster Management implies that the standard approach to disaster management should evolve to incorporating hazard information into development planning and decision making (Bisek et al 2001). This includes physical planning and investment decisions (Interim Results 5). Disaster management considerations are being incorporated into the development planning and decision-making process in a number of ways, primarily through efforts to include mitigation measures in preparation, response, and recovery. Initiatives include: • The inclusion of hazard mitigation measures in the building codes, and the proposal to establish the Building Authority in April 2004. • Planning for the designation of flood zones within the next two years. • Retrofitting of buildings in the health services sector. • Design criteria for culverts include not only flow considerations, but also minimum size requirements to ensure maintenance. • The inclusion within the Tourism Development Act of a provision to offer special concessions for development of tourism properties away from the coast. The initiative was said to be responding to the need to diversify the tourism product, as well the concerns about sea level rise and storm surge. • The Prime Minister has in the past (in his role as Minister of Finance) provided concessions for households that adopt protection measures, such as constructing storm shutters, provision of emergency water supply systems, and other forms of retrofitting. Following a CDERA workshop/national consultation in 1999, the process of sector planning should have been initiated through the establishment of sector disaster committees. Unfortunately, the process has not been completed, and sector plans have not been prepared. Of the institutions consulted, the tourism and health sectors are the only ones that indicated that sector-level planning had been initiated. Supporting Initiatives/Strengths •
The Ministry of Health has developed a fairly structured and advanced planning process and Plan of Action for the health services. In addition to the quarterly meeting of the Health Services Standing Committee, the main hospital (Queen Elizabeth Hospital), 4 district hospitals, and 8 polyclinics have prepared and submitted site disaster plans. Those plans should have been integrated with
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information from the private sector to produce a sector disaster management plan. Although the sector plan has not been completed, the process provides a point of departure for the next phase because; (i) the basic work has been completed, and (ii) the process presents a potential model for use by other sectors. •
The Green Paper on Sustainable Development of Tourism in Barbados: A Policy Framework (August 2001) identifies the need to “Facilitate the effective management of natural and man-made disasters in the tourism sector through contingency plan and simulation exercises” (Section 10:17, Item 17.2). Although the Tourism Development Act, 2002-7 does not make any provision for substantive action in this regard, the recognition of the need for sector planning related to disaster management is a step in the right direction.
•
The National Physical Development Plan (Amended 2003) includes policies for the integration of disaster management issues into the development planning process. This is a major achievement, for which the subsequent steps should be the development of the appropriate planning/evaluation guidelines/primers for use in sectoral, economic, and land use planning.
Areas Needing Special Attention •
Economic planning need to take more into account the spatial requirements and implications of economic strategies, providing the appropriate financial incentives or disincentives for certain types of developments and for particular locations. For example, the Tourism Development Act, 200-7 provides tax concessions for tourism development that diversify the tourism package by investing in nature trails and inland locations. – Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Finance.
•
There has been periodic discussion about the need to conduct sector vulnerability assessments, coastal vulnerability assessment, and for the need for vulnerability assessment to be incorporated into the physical planning process. The Ministry of Environment is preparing a document on the social, economic, and environmental vulnerability of Barbados for the SIDS+10 meeting. However, no linkage has been established between the report under preparation by the Ministry of Environment and the vulnerability assessments that need to be conducted. Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Environment.
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Recommended Course of Action
3.2.3
•
Sector vulnerability assessments should be undertaken and disaster plans prepared. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO
•
Income tax concessions in the tourism sector should be reviewed to cover disaster mitigation measures. Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Tourism.
Hazard Identification, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
It is considered that the vulnerability of Barbados is high, due to the following internal factors: • The small land space is heavily used; • There is upstream dumping of solid waste in watercourses/gullies; • There is a large percentage of impervious surface; and • There is inadequate drainage, which is exacerbated by the continuing changes in land use and landform. There have been several projects in the past to deal with hazard identification, including: • Land slippage in the Scotland District – Ministry of Agriculture. • The Chemical Substances Working Group approved by Cabinet in 1993 prepared a Chemical Spills Response Plan. The plan is to be tested, and then used to prepare the National Hazardous Substances Management Policy. • The Coastal Zone Management Unit in 1998, as part of the coastal zone management framework and plan, used the 100-year storm benchmark as the basis for the thirty metre (30m) setback for developments in the coastal zone. • Hazard mapping is undertaken as part of land use planning – Town Country Development Planning Office. The initiatives being conducted or planned by a number of different agencies include: • The Ministry of Public Works will be producing hazard maps and designating flood zones over the next 1-2 years. • A Debris Management Plan is under preparation by a CERO-coordinated committee. • Discussion of disaster issues within the national biosafety framework under is under development. • The Coastal Zone Management Unit is conducting modeling for sea level rise. This was started as part of the Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change (CPACC) project. • There is a Cabinet-approved inter-agency committee developing the new building codes, which address natural hazards. Barbados CDM Review
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• •
Barbados is participating in the Caribbean Disaster Management (CADM) Project, which focuses on flood hazard mapping and community disaster planning – implemented by CDERA on behalf of the Government of Barbados. The Ministry of Environment is preparing a document on the social, economic, and environmental vulnerability of Barbados for the SIDS+10 meeting in August 2004.
Supporting Initiatives/Strengths •
The various initiatives by the different institutions present a basis for further action and optimization of efforts, resources, and products.
•
The Government of Barbados engaged a Consultant, Mr. Frankie Michaels, to develop the National Multi-Hazard Plan for Barbados. That work was initiated on February 1, 2004.
Areas Needing Special Attention •
There is inadequate attention paid to all the potential sources of man-made and natural hazards. For example, during the consultation conducted as part of this assignment, only one institution expressed any concern about earthquakes, even though Barbados is listed as having high vulnerability to earthquakes (UNEP 2002). It is anticipated that the development of the multi-hazard plan will result in a more comprehensive approach to disaster management in Barbados. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
•
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) process is a major part of the development control process, yet it does not specifically deal with the issue of hazards. Institution with primary responsibility – Town & Country Development Planning Office
•
Enough attention has not been paid to the vulnerability of the housing stock. Wooden houses are particularly vulnerable to storms and earthquakes, and Barbados has a large proportion of its houses built of wood. Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Housing.
•
It was repeated consistently throughout the consultation process that the skills for serious risk/vulnerability assessments are not generally available in Barbados. As such, technical assistance will have to be provided to the Government of Barbados to undertake much of the primary work that needs to be done to support the technical aspects of the disaster management process. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO/CDERA.
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Recommended Course of Action
3.2.4
•
The EIA process should be overhauled. Institution with primary responsibility - Town & Country Development Planning Office.
•
The various initiatives have to be coordinated. responsibility – CERO.
•
Provide the various institutions with the technical assistance required to conduct the various assessments and develop the various strategies/plans. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO/CDERA.
Institution with primary
Information Management, Communications and Mass Media Capabilities
The information management capacity within CERO is very limited. Though the institution possesses computers, documentation is still primarily held as hard copy. Included in the plans for the reorganization of CERO is the establishment of a geographic information system (GIS). Communication is coordinated by the Government Information Service. Support is provided for planning, event response, and post-event communications, including the preparation of information for external (international) audiences. Similarly, mass media capabilities are contained primarily within the Government Information Service. That institution also has arrangements with other media agencies to access any additional skills required for response to a major disaster.
Supporting Initiatives/Strengths •
The Government Information Service maintains a communications plan that supports disaster management initiatives.
Areas Needing Special Attention •
The communication capacity with CERO has to be improved, especially since it has the role of promoting CDM. The current limited capacity within CERO is focused on public awareness for the response phase of the disaster management process. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
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•
3.2.5
Data management capacity in CERO is to be significantly improved. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
Alert and Warning
Current warning systems are focused on weather-related phenomena, and are managed by the Barbados Meteorological Services. From all accounts, the alert and warning systems are adequate.
3.2.6
Direction and Control
As shown in Section 3.1, direction and control is provided through two main mechanisms. The main, centralized mechanism is the one wherein the traditional emergency response agencies are brought under the coordination of CERO once a disaster has been declared. For general operating conditions, the direction is provided to CERO and the participating institutions by the CAC and the 12 Standing Committees. At the community level, control and direction is coordinated through the Parish Emergency Response Teams (PERTs) and the District Emergency Organisations (DEOs). The second mechanism is directly through the participating institutions, which have their coordinating mechanisms organized in different ways, e.g.: • The Ministry of Public Works has established 13 depots, coordinated through the Director of Maintenance. • The Police is reorganizing its coordinating mechanism to place all major incidents, including natural disasters, under the direction of one central high-ranking officer. • The Drainage Unit has divided the island into 12 administrative units, each with a Drainage Team. • The 28 DEOs are organized along constituency boundaries, and are traditionally chaired by the Returning Officers for those constituencies. There is a national Coordinator for the DEOs.
Supporting Initiatives/Strengths •
The variety of control mechanisms means that the basic network is in place, even though the capacities and linkages are below the desired levels.
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Areas Needing Special Attention •
The ability of CERO to provide the coordinating function need to be improved (Sections 3.2.1 and 3.4). Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Home Affairs.
•
The DEOs and PERTs need to be re-organised to provide increased capacity, administrative coherence, programmatic linkages, and operational efficiencies. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
•
The use of administrative zones by different agencies should be reviewed with the aim of increasing programme linkages. For example, the officers of the regular emergency services should be part of the DEOs. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
Recommended Course of Action
3.2.7
•
Re-organise DEOs on a parish basis, and link to the PERTs. – Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
•
Prepare development plan for DEOs. Institution with primary responsibility DEO/CERO
Operations and Logistics
Many of the institutions that participate in the disaster management process routinely undertake activities in support of the CERO-coordinated national process. These range from mere reporting to undertaking lead roles for specific tasks. However, this review found that many of the same agencies had less structured internal procedures. In most cases, the impression was given that the general staff body knew of the shutdown procedures and response support systems for that office. However, most were apologetic about not having copies of such procedures clearly articulated in a manual, or even where such a manual had existed in the past, its whereabouts was quite uncertain. The Ministries of Public Works and Health stand out as two institutions that have highly structured internal processes for disaster management. The Barbados Red Cross has not only an internal structure and process, but also a regional and international machinery that can be activated to support the Barbadian efforts if necessary.
Supporting Initiatives/Strengths • Several of the institutions have plans and operational procedures for both participation in the CERO-coordinated process and for their internal facilities Barbados CDM Review
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• •
management/protection processes (Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, and Barbados Defense Force). Procedures manuals also exist in the public utilities – Barbados Water Authority, Barbados Light & Power Company. The Barbados Defense Force and the Ministry of Public Works have responsibilities for securing the central governmental offices, and as such, are used to preparing and implementing plans for other institutions. These two institutions can provide technical assistance to the other participating institutions that have not developed the desired level of internal disaster management operational planning.
Areas Needing Special Attention •
The DEO is meant to be the mechanism that facilitates “…the participation of individuals, communities and non-governmental organizations in the national emergency management programme”. Given that intent, the DEOs require more attention in terms of their organizational capacities and operational procedures. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
•
The PERTs serve as a mechanism to “…establish at the parish level an emergency response mechanism, which will mirror the Barbados National Emergency Management Agency…” (the proposed name of the reorganized CERO). The operational issues mentioned above for the DEOs are also relevant to the PERTs. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
•
As mentioned above, the internal processes in the most of the participating institutions need to be strengthened. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
Recommended Course of Action •
3.2.8
Reorganise the DEOs (reduce from 28 to 12), and link to the PERTs or 12 administrative units developed by the Drainage Unit. Institutional strengthening support should also be provided to both the DEOs and PERTs.
Shelter Management and Evacuation Planning
Shelter management is coordinated by the Ministry of Education, working with the Shelter Standing Committee. The main focus is on the emergency shelters, and usually involves the following activities:
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• • • • •
Engineering assessment of the schools and churches to be used as emergency shelters – conducted by the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers. Production of a booklet listing the names and locations of emergency shelters. The booklet also lists the names and contact information for the wardens in charge of the shelters – printed by the Ministry of Education. Provision of food and other supplies – organized by the Ministry of Agriculture. Training and assignment of First Aiders – Barbados Red Cross. The National Housing Corporation is charged with providing temporary housing solutions if necessary.
There was no information provided during this review to indicate the arrangements for evacuation planning. No maps exist, and the routes, if known, are not marked by signs.
Supporting Initiatives/Strengths •
The network and organization supporting the preparation and management of the emergency shelters provide an excellent mechanism for the development of structured arrangements to embrace CDM.
Areas Needing Special Attention •
Development of the evacuation plan, and provision of the appropriate documentation and signage. Institution with primary responsibility – Barbados Royal Police Force.
•
Traffic planning for emergency disaster events is critical in a place as densely populated as Barbados, especially in areas such as Bridgetown. An attempt by the relevant authorities to close Bridgetown early in response to the threat posed by Hurricane Lili resulted in traffic gridlock. It has been suggested that the existence of an extensive road network with numerous inter-connections allow individuals to take “short-cuts”, creating traffic jams. Institution with primary responsibility – Royal Barbados Police Force.
Recommended Course of Action •
Select, mark, and publicise evacuation routes. responsibility – Royal Barbados Police Force.
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3.2.9
National Emergency Communications Capabilities for Response
The national communications capability for emergency response is adequate for the size disaster events Barbados has experienced thus far. In addition to the radio communication channels used by the various emergency services, a shared emergency channel (Channel 1) has been established for disaster events. In this manner, the national response process does not compromise the internal communications of the individual institutions. The following are the areas of concern: • The CERO coordination of a national disaster is triggered by correspondence faxed from CERO to the emergency agencies. Fax machines are not always working, and the relevant officers may not be available. It may be more appropriate to initiate the response process with preset radio messages, using the facsimile as backup. • Given the traffic congestion in Bridgetown even under normal conditions, the firm that provides communication equipment to CERO may not be able to respond quickly in the event of an emergency. • There is no definite back-up to the telecommunication system. It is anticipated that the citizen band radio and ham radio operators will support the shelters and the central system.
Supporting Initiatives/Strengths •
The communications system and information management systems for disaster management in Barbados have been reviewed by CDERA, and the required changes have been identified.
Areas Needing Special Attention •
In a major event, the communication system would be shut down, and the start-up would be based on priority needs. As such, it is important to develop a more structured arrangement with the citizen band radio and ham radio operators. Institution with primary responsibility – Telecommunications Division.
Recommended Course of Action •
A vulnerability assessment for the communications system should be undertaken. Institution with primary responsibility – Telecommunications Division.
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3.2.10 Exercises and Drills The traditional emergency services are required by law to have updated emergency plans. For example, the Police is required to have a Major Incidents and Emergency Duties Plan. These institutions routinely test their plans, as they are required to maintain a high level of readiness at all times. The other supporting institutions may have disaster plans, but do not routinely conduct drills. Other emergency plans that have been prepared include: • Mass Casualty Plan; • Mass Crowd Plan; • Standard Operating Procedures for Flood Response; • Chemical Spills Response Plan; and • Oil Spill Response Plan. There are annual simulations and evaluations for specific types of events, such as accidents involving aircraft and cruise ships. Additionally, the Mass Crowd Plan is put into effect every time there is a major function in the stadium. The general consensus of the institutions consulted is that the levels of planning, existing institutional resources, and response expertise are adequate to deal with the small events Barbados normally experiences. Concern was frequently expressed about the ability of the system to adequately respond to a major event. This concern was mainly about the staffing and equipment capacity, and because the existing response system has never been tested by a major event.
Supporting Initiatives/Strengths •
CERO has a significant amount of experience in emergency response.
•
The primary response responsibility does not rest solely with one institution. For example, the Barbados Defense Force has the primary response role for aircraft emergencies and oil spills at sea.
Areas Needing Special Attention •
There are concerns about the level of preparation and the availability of resources to deal with a major event. As such, an exercise to simulate a major event should be undertaken. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
•
There is still no focus on earthquakes, even though an earthquake could conceivably result in secondary emergency scenarios (fire, damage to gas distribution system, contamination of groundwater supply, etc.). Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
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•
Damage assessment should be a structured part of the simulation exercises. Institution with primary responsibility – Statistical Services/CERO.
3.2.11 Resources Management A range of mechanisms are used to manage the resources required for disaster management in Barbados. Those mechanisms are focused not only on the response effort, but also include protection of critical assets from the impact of disasters. Responsibilities and mechanisms include: a.
Ministry of Agriculture • Provision of food and supplies to the emergency shelters; • Collaboration with merchants for the maintenance of adequate food stocks; • Safeguarding the fishing fleet; • Development of a rationing system, in coordination with CERO; and • Development of measures for ensuring safety of livestock.
b.
Ministry of Public Works • Maintains 13 depots that are mobilized for disaster response; • Provision of transportation and equipment to other government agencies as required; and • Collaboration with the private sector to access equipment if required.
c.
Ministry of Housing • Conducts inventory of building materials prior to the beginning of each hurricane season.
d.
Ministry of Health • Ensures adequacy of facilities to meet emergency needs; • Establishment of first aid stations and supplies; • Collaborate with private health services for provision of supplies, services, and storage facilities if required in an emergency; and • Debris collection and disposal.
e.
Drainage Unit • Maintenance of drainage systems; • Outsourcing of maintenance for stormwater wells; • Maintains a database of approximately 5,000 wells; and • Collaborates with the private sector to access specialized equipment if necessary.
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f.
Limited storage facilities are provided by the Barbados Red Cross, the Police, and the Fire Service.
Supporting Initiatives/Strengths •
The arrangements with the private sector for the provision of equipment and services, such as the maintenance of the storm water wells, is an interesting model that provides access to required resources, assuming the budgetary support is available;
•
Mobilisation by communities for cleanup of the drainage systems prior to the start of the hurricane season indicates a keen interest on the part of the communities, which can be used as a supporting activity in working with the communities to embrace CDM.
Areas Needing Special Attention •
All the participating institutions should be required to develop stores of equipment to be used for emergency response. Institution with primary responsibility – Participating institutions.
•
A number of databases are being developed, but the degree of sharing of those databases is limited. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
•
There is insufficient attention paid to the use of landscape features (forests, etc.) for disaster preparedness and mitigation. – Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Environment.
Recommended Course of Action •
The damage assessments generate data on social and economic characteristics, household demographics, and damage. That assessment should be broadened to capture data on environmental impact, as well as the design, types, and locations of structures that were damaged. That information should be compiled and used for planning purposes. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
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3.2.12 Public Education and Training The public education efforts for disaster preparedness and response appear to be substantial, and consistently receive inputs from the government agencies, a number of private and nongovernmental organisations, and community groups. The hurricane season is usually preceded by the dissemination of information through a variety of media mechanisms. Information disturbed deals with issues such as food tips, housing, etc. The institutions consulted gave high marks to CERO and its Director of Emergency Services, Ms Judy Thomas, for their efforts and high visibility in this aspect of CDM. Inputs by the various institutions include: • Barbados Association of Professional Engineers has developed an educational video focusing on housing. This provides tips on various aspects of preparedness, such as how to use roof straps. • The District Emergency Organisations have increasingly large roles in the response effort, and work to increase awareness in communities. • United Insurance supports the production of handbooks and pamphlets for general distribution. • The Ministry of Education updates the information on shelters and contact numbers on an annual basis. • The Ministry of Agriculture publishes a set of preparedness and response instructions for livestock farmers, information that is also used by the agricultural research stations. • Resorts provide information to the guests (e.g. assembly points and locations of the nearest shelters). The general consensus is that the public’s awareness is very high. It has even been stated that the information is detailed and comprehensive enough to be used to prepare household plans. However, it has been noted that the absence of a major event in recent Barbadian history has made the general populace complacent. This is exhibited mainly in the form of delaying preparations (such as the purchase of foodstuff) until a warning is received. Similarly, the business sector is increasingly expressing frustration when business activities are disrupted, but the event does not materialise. Brief discussions during this review with a small number of persons in the general populace indicate that public awareness is very high, and despite the sense of security and scepticism, the public remains engaged. For example, infractions of landform changes by homeowners and developers are sometimes reported to the relevant agencies by members of the community. Barbados CDM Review
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Training Barbados takes advantage of CDERA-organised/sponsored events. These have covered search and rescue and damage assessment for houses. CDERA is also considering providing in-service training in sector-specific areas, which can then be upgraded in a modular format for specialised training at tertiary training institutions. At the national level, the personnel of the emergency response agencies have undergone emergency management training. Such training is routine for the Police, Fire Service, and Barbados Defence Force. National disaster management training has included: • CDERA training of trainers in damage assessment; • CERO training courses in damage assessment; • Awarding national development scholarships in disaster management (two now awarded); • Simulation exercises for small specific events (e.g. aircraft crash); • CERO training for Message Handlers; and • Use of SUMA database to track inputs and distribution of resources from internal and external sources. Specialised training relevant to the CDM process also takes place. For example, the staff of the Coastal Zone Management Unit is currently receiving training in wave modelling.
Supporting Initiatives/Strengths •
Ongoing programmatic support from the donor agencies and CDERA for training, the preparation of guidelines, publication of materials, and other similar support.
Areas Needing Special Attention •
Though there are many institutions involved in disaster management in Barbados, there is no single resource centre that is available to the general public. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
•
Disaster management information should be inserted into the curricula of the formal education system. Institution with primary responsibility – Ministry of Education.
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•
Additional training is required in site suitability assessments, which should be routinely used in the development control process. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO/CDERA.
Recommended Course of Action •
A resource centre for materials, literature, and technical support on disasterrelated matters should be created in CERO. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
•
A training needs assessment should be conducted in all participating institutions and community groups. Institution with primary responsibility – CERO.
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Table 2: Summary Findings of Institutional Review
Section Focus Area 3.2.1
Legal Authority
Strengths Current legislation provides authority for response coordination. Proposed legislation broadens role of lead agency.
Recommended Action
Primary Responsibility
Policy gap analysis.
Ministry of Home Affairs.
Needs Attention Legislative requirements for sector assessments. Updating CERO mandate. Inserting CDM into CZM process.
Institutional framework review to be undertaken as part of legislative reform process.
Ministry of Environment
CDM approved as disaster management framework. 3.2.2
Hazard Analysis and Multi-Year Development Planning
Drainage and Coastal Zone Management Units developing GIS-based hazard maps. Health & tourism sectors developed policy guidance.
3.2.3
Hazard Identification, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
Good awareness of multiple hazards on the part of government agencies
Island wide land cover and hazard database is lacking. Economic data absent.
Consolidate efforts at vulnerability mapping and increase cover to entire island.
CERO
Undertake hazard mapping project for entire island. Institute sector disaster planning.
Ministry of Finance.
Sector assessments.
Sector vulnerability analyses.
CERO Town Planning Office
3.2.4
Information Management, Communications and Mass Media Capabilities
Support from Government Information Service.
CERO require relevant capacity.
Review of information management needs for planning, response, and communications to internal and external groups.
Government Information Service and CERO
3.2.5
Alert and Warning
Systems generally well
Need back-up warning and
Link District Emergency
CERO
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Section
Recommended Action Focus Area
3.2.6
Direction and Control
Strengths
Needs Attention
Primary Responsibility
organized.
alerts for key media and disaster leaders
Organisations into communications system.
Command and control systems generally well organized
Intra-agency planning and response plans and processes.
Provide CERO with the authority to request sector plans.
Ministry of Home Affairs. CERO
3.2.7
Operations and Logistics
Command and control/public security systems generally well organized.
Capacity of community organisations
Develop capacity and procedures for operations of DEOs and PERTs.
CERO
3.2.8
Shelter Management and Evacuation Planning
Well organized, and supported by a number of agencies and NGOs.
Evacuation Plan.
Mark routes.
CERO.
National Emergency Communications Capabilities for Response
Command and control/public security systems generally well organized
Need continuous review of contact information; communications vulnerability assessment
3.2.9
3.2.10
3.2.11
3.2.12
Exercises and Drills
Resources Management
Public Education
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Route demarcation and traffic planning.
Police Fast moving technologies require constant reassessment; upgrade data on web site: shelters, district coordinators; vulnerability maps when available.
CERO
Simulations should include response to major natural events.
CERO
Ministry of Environment
Command and control/public security systems generally well organized
Damage assessment
Agencies responsive. Private suppliers and contractors responsive.
Lack of knowledge about soft path means for preparedness and mitigation planning
Emphasize cost savings of mitigation via natural systems
CDM training in formal
Insert CDM principles in
Intensive coverage at Page 34
Simulation exercises for earthquakes
Police GIS Telecom. Division
CERO
Improve damage assessment process and reporting
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Ministry of
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Section Focus Area and Training
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Strengths start of each hurricane season. Significant level of support from professional engineering association and insurance companies.
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Recommended Action
Primary Responsibility
existing curriculum. Establish environment clubs in schools.
Education
Needs Attention education system
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CERO
3.3
CDM and the Political Process
The political climate affecting the CDM agenda can be viewed in terms of both the influence/support of the political leaders and in terms of the institutional arrangements. The situation is characterized by the following: •
The political leadership is supportive of the CDM concept. This is confirmed by the Cabinet approval of CDM as the disaster management framework for Barbados. Additionally, the committee working on the new building codes and enabling legislation was formed by Cabinet approval.
•
There is general consensus that institutions have been more responsive when political leaders have shown interest in disaster-related issues, especially relief for affected persons.
•
In the past, the Prime Minister, in his role as Minister of Finance, has provided tax concessions to households for adopting disaster mitigation measures, such as installing hurricane shutters.
•
Many of the institutions participating in the CERO-coordinated disaster management process have not internalized the CDM conceptual framework. In fact, some senior managers have not been fully informed of the CDM framework, and question whether it requires the institutions to develop strategies and procedures that are different from those currently in place. It is therefore apparent that the most significant “political” obstacle that needs to be overcome is that associated with institutional politics and culture.
•
The District Emergency Organisations (DEOs) are organized along constituency boundaries, and chaired by the Returning Officers. As such, the DEOs are linked to the political process at the community level. The perception of political affiliation has adversely affected the level of volunteerism and commitment, as well as impacting on the effectiveness of the groups. However, any attempt to reorganise the DEOs will necessarily involve a political process.
•
There is a high level of participation in the disaster management process by the private sector, civil society institutions, and the general public. That level of support can easily be translated into political and general support for implementation of the CDM agenda.
Recommended Course of Action Given the current high level of support, only two sets of action are considered necessary to generate the necessary progress in winning further support for the CDM process. These are:
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3.4
(a)
A strategy and plan for disaster management in Barbados should be developed. The hiring of a consultant to prepare the national multi-hazard plan notwithstanding, issues of programming, institutional roles, sector issues and strategies, targets, etc. need to be developed. A useful starting point would be the adaptation of the model disaster policy developed by CDERA in 2003 (Alleyne Planning Associates 2003).
(b)
Reorganise and build capacity in the DEOs. The reorganization should be either on a parish basis (as the PERTs) or on the basis of the 12 administrative regions used by the Drainage Unit. The Ministry of Home Affairs in 2003 established a committee to prepare a status report and development plan for the DEO network. That work had still not been undertaken at the time of this review.
National Disaster Organization
The 2001 CDM strategy and framework identifies the National Disaster Organization (NDO) as the institution having “…primary responsibility for disaster management at the national level”. The strategy further defines the NDO as “…not only the national disaster office, but also the committees and linkages that are necessary for effective multi-hazard management through all phases of the disaster cycle”. In evaluating the readiness of the NDO to promote CDM, the strategy used the following criteria (Bisek et al 2001): • An established organizational structure with highly trained professional staff; • Well-established and functioning linkages/partnerships for disaster management (government agencies, private sector, NGOs, community organizations); • Research and data management capability; • Fully functional Emergency Operations Center; • Operational outreach program; • Public education, public information and training capability; • Operational multi-hazard disaster plan; and • Legislative framework. The same criteria were used in this institutional review of the CERO-coordinated disaster management process in Barbados.
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(a)
Organizational Structure and Staffing The Secretariat is composed of eight (8) persons, these being: • Director of Emergency Services; • Deputy Director of Emergency Services; • 2 Programme Officers; • 2 Clerk/Typists; • 1 Messenger/Driver; and • 1 General Worker. The proposal to re-organize the CERO Secretariat into the Barbados National Emergency Management Agency (BNEMA) also includes an increase in the staff complement to fifteen (15) persons, with the proposed organizational structure shown by Figure 2. Given the fact that CERO/BNEMA is the lead institution for all phases of the disaster management process, it will be necessary for the institution to lead and coordinate the dialogue necessary for integration of CDM into the development planning processes, provide technical and policy guidance to other institutions and the public as necessary, coordinate the various elements of the process, and maintain much of the supporting processes and systems for CDM. Given the above scenario, the number of staff proposed will be inadequate to meet the demands of the coordinating function. The following additions should be considered: •
The establishment and operation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) within CERO will require more than one person to carry out the various tasks of populating and maintaining the integrity of the system. Data will be stored in both spatial and attribute databases, and the manipulation of that data for both routine and planning purposes require more manpower than proposed. It is recommended that the staff complement for the information technology unit be increased from one (1) to three (3).
•
As the lead institution, CERO should establish a document centre/resource centre.
•
The policy and planning function of the institution will also require personnel above the levels currently proposed.
The minimum recommended staffing level for the new institution is 21 (Figure 3).
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Figure 2: Proposed Structure for BNEMA3 Director of Emergency Services
Deputy Director
Programme Officer Training and Public Education
Programme Officer Operations
Programme Officer Preparedness
Programme Officer Prevention and Mitigation
Secretary
Executive Officer
Maid
3
Assistant Accountant
Clerk/Typist
Clerk/Typist
Messenger/Radio Operator
The System Analyst/Programmer is listed in Appendix 6 of the BNEMA proposal, but is not shown by the organogram. Also, 3 Clerks/Typists are listed, but only 2 are shown by the diagram.
Figure 3: Recommended Staffing Level for BNEMA
Director
Administrative Assistant
Policy & Planning • • • • •
Deputy Director System Analyst Data Manager Data Entry Clerk 2 Programme Officers – assessments, research, etc. • 1 Administrative Assistant
Operations • • • • • • • • • •
Deputy Director HRD Officer Accountant Office Manager Documentalist/Librarian Outreach Officer – training and public education 2 Programme Officers – Liaison with DEOs, EIA review, etc. 1 Administrative Assistant 2 Messengers/Drivers 1 Attendant
The recommended increase to 21 positions represents an additional six staff persons above that listed in the BNEMA proposal. The proposed new positions4 are: • 1 Deputy Director; • 1 Data Manager; • 1 Data Entry Clerk; • 1 Human Resources Development Officer; • 1 Programme Officer • 1 Documentalist/Librarian; and • 1 Driver/Messenger
Rationale for the Recommended New Positions 4
One post of Clerk/Typist has been dropped from the proposed structure.
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•
•
•
•
•
Deputy Director – The proposed structure fro BNEMA shows the entire staff body reporting to the one Deputy Director. This arrangement implies an emphasis on operational oversight, which would leave insufficient time to dedicate to policy and planning. The proposed inclusion of additional staff to support the data management needs of the organization, the need to establish stronger linkages with the technical institutions conducting research and monitoring, the need for stronger linkages with the policy and planning units within the various ministries, and the need for internal (to CERO/BNEMA) integration of planning and operations underscores the need for a second Deputy Director. Data Manager and Data Entry Clerk – The establishment of a Geographic Information System implies that CERO/BNEMA will be doing more than merely maintaining a series of hazard maps. It implies full map production and database development and management activities. In addition to data management within the institution, there will be a need for providing advice to other institutions, negotiating agreements and use rights with internal and external partners, development of data recording templates, inputting the data collected from the assessments and site surveys, and a myriad of other related duties. That is obviously too much work for one staff member. If CERO/BNEMA intends to play the lead role for disaster management, and maintain the supporting information management system, a minimum of three persons will be required to deal with the internal demands, while maintaining the linkages with and/or support to its external partners. Human Resources Development Officer – It is usual for instructions to have an administrative officer charged with responsibility for dealing with the personnel matters of that institution. Given the nature of CERO/BNEMA and the changes to take place in its mandate, a more comprehensive programme of human resources development need to be designed and implemented. Such assessment and programming will be outside the skills set of an administrative officer, and will therefore require a trained human resources development officer. Programme Officer – The number of programme officers has been increased by one (1). It is anticipated that the volume of work to be done on the operations side of the institution will require more than one programme officer. For example, the support to the DEOs will require a significant level of human resources. Additional, new, areas of responsibility will include environmental impact assessments, development control, joint programmes with institutions collaborating in the CERO process, and a range of similar tasks. Collaborating institutions are currently expecting significantly more input, direction, and support from CERO, hence the proposed increase in the number of programme officers. Documentalist/Librarian – There is currently no single institution in Barbados that provides guidance and supporting materials on disaster management. In addition to the publications and other materials required by the staff, the focus on
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•
community disaster planning requires that the community has access to a resource centre on disasters and disaster management. Driver/Messenger – Given the traffic situation in Barbados, one driver may not be adequate to serve the proposed staffing level. This will be particularly true when undertaking field work or responding to even small events.
It is assumed that the staff will be provided with the necessary support systems and resources to collect, maintain, and evaluate the information necessary to manage all phases of the CDM process. Where possible, appropriate technology, such as automated telephone/audix systems, should be utilized.
(b)
Linkages/Partnerships for Disaster Management Many of the institutions participating in the CAC are given specific roles on behalf of the national response effort (Appendix 4). Examples of these supporting activities include: • The shelter programme is coordinated by the Ministry of Education; • The Ministry of Agriculture coordinates the provision of food for the shelters; • The Police has responsibility for crowd control and security of the EOC; • The Ministry of Public Works clears roads and prunes trees at the start of each hurricane season, and is responsible for post-event clearing of selected roads; • The Statistical Services coordinates damage assessments; • The Ministry of Health ensures the readiness of health facilities, and coordinates the activities of the public and private health services institutions; • The Government Information Service coordinates communications for the EOC; and • The Barbados Red Cross provides First Aiders in the case of national disasters, and support to mass crowd events. Despite the number of partnerships and sub-committees in place, the usefulness of those arrangements has been questioned. Concerns include: • The CAC has not been as productive as it could be, with members focusing much of their attention thus far on the problems and issues, while making little progress on programme implementation. • Some members of the CAC, and their institutions, are still not familiar with the CDM framework. In addition to the information gathered during the interviews, this communication gap was quite obvious during the meeting of the institutions on February 11, 2004 to discuss the preliminary report. • CERO does not possess the capacity and authority to provide sufficient guidance to its partners. As a result, tasks such as the submission of institutional plans and the re-activation of the DEOs are not completed as expeditiously as desired. • The arrangements between CERO and the participating institutions are still
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•
(c)
largely informal. Though the organizational chart for emergency planning provided by CERO suggests that emergency planning is coordinated by CERO (Figure 1), the various organizations have their own mandates and reporting processes. As such, the functional institutional arrangement for disaster management in Barbados is more accurately shown by Figure 4, wherein all aspects of disaster management are not currently coordinated through the CERO Secretariat (Section 3.1). The operational linkages between the EOC, PERTs, & DEOs are largely undefined.
Research and Data Management Capability The National Disaster Organisation, CERO, does not conduct research to support the CDM process. Neither does any other national or regional institution. Future plans include efforts by the Drainage Unit to establish a research desk to focus on the development and application of particular techniques for design and construction of flood management infrastructure. It has been suggested that the appropriate institutions to conduct such research are the regional universities. As such, the national effort is awaiting the results of ongoing discussions between CDERA and the University of the West Indies (UWI). Information obtained from CDERA indicates that UWI has been approached to review its curriculum in the Geography Department (Mona) and the Faculty of Engineering (St. Augustine) as it relates to disaster management. The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) in 1998 worked with multidisciplinary faculty teams from four other Caribbean universities (Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo, Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña, University of Puerto Rico, and University of the West Indies) to develop curriculum units on “natural tropical phenomena” (UVI 1998). However, the extent to which the modules are used by regional universities is unknown. As stated in Section 3.2.4, the information management capacity within CERO is very limited. In addition to the plans for the establishment of a GIS, this report recommends the establishment of a document/resource centre.
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Figure 4: Institutional Arrangements for Disaster Management in Barbados
Ministry of Home Affairs
Various Ministries and Boards of Directors
Coordinating Advisory Council District Emergency Organisations
Public, Private, & Civil Society Institutions
CERO Secretariat
Standing Committees
(d)
Parish Emergency Response Teams
Emergency Operations Centre
Emergency Operations Center The office of the CERO Secretariat currently houses the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). The CERO Strategic Plan 2000-2010 acknowledges that even though the equipment in the EOC was upgraded, there are problems with the current location of the EOC. Problems listed in the strategic plan include: • Leaking during rainfall events; • Difficulty with access by EOC support team members during peak traffic hours. Concerns about the EOC expressed by persons consulted during the review process include: • The physical facilities need to be upgraded (leaking, inadequate space, lack of rest space, inadequate restroom facilities for full and/or extended use); • The computer equipment need to be upgraded;
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• • • • •
Inappropriateness of the current arrangements to address disasters related to health or pest/disease, either of which could occur by itself, or triggered by a natural disaster; The current location of the EOC is below the high water mark for tsunamis, and could suffer damage from that source; Depending on the time of day, the traffic problems in the area may prevent the organization that provides communication equipment from responding quickly to the EOC request; The Secretariat staffing level is currently inadequate to effectively coordinate/support the EOC; and The operational partnerships for the CAC and EOC need to be formalized.
The EOC is operational, and its Standard Operating Procedures have been tested through simulation exercises and by the small disaster events, notably Lily in 2002. As with other areas of disaster management in Barbados, the system requires finetuning at the present levels, and would be inadequate to deal with major events. The leak is of particular concern, as it increases the potential for damage to equipment, as well as the risk of fire. The locational problems with the EOC will be addressed when CERO is moved to Block B in the Garrison. The renovation of those facilities is expected to be completed in the coming 18-24 months. In the interim period, the office will be housed in rented accommodations at Warrens.
(e)
Outreach Programme As suggested by Sections 3.2.7 and 3.2.9, the outreach programme of CERO is adequate for its current level of operation, but need improvement in order for CERO to effectively guide the CDM process.
(f)
Public Education and Training Capability As detailed in Section 3.2.12, the public education programme is extensive and highly successful. Concerning training, CERO directly provides, or makes arrangements for, training in a number of skills areas.
(g)
Operational Multi-hazard Disaster Plan A multi-hazard disaster plan does not exist, but one is currently under preparation (Sections 3.2.2 and 3.2.3).
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(h)
Legislative Framework The legislative framework is inadequate to achieve CDM objectives. The necessary changes are being undertaken to address the legislative framework as it pertains to CERO. Other relevant issues, such as the enabling legislation for the building codes, are also being addressed.
Review Criteria
Finding
Established organizational structure with highly trained professional staff Well-established and functioning linkages/partnerships for disaster management Research and data management capability Fully functional Emergency Operations Center Operational outreach programme Public education, public information and training capability Operational multi-hazard disaster plan Legislative framework
Inadequate capacity Requires improvement Mostly lacking Functional, but need upgrading Requires improvement Adequate capacity, ongoing successes Mostly lacking Improvements planned
It has been stated that the organisational structure of CERO has not changed since its establishment, and is therefore inadequate to deliver it current mandate. Additionally, its current authority to coordinate the various components of the disaster management process in the period between disasters is severely limited. As such, CERO has limited ability to lead the CDM process without substantial levels of cooperation from the line agencies. One tangible manifestation of this issue is the widely varying degree to which line agencies have utilised CERO guidelines in their internal processes, or internalised the CDM process. The need for increased sectoral and institutional linkages is increasingly being given attention in the deliberations of the CAC, and it is anticipated that more active participation of all members in the process will improve the promotion of CDM. There are also inadequate human resources (staffing levels and skills availability), tools, and support systems to carry out the tasks of coordination, information management, forecasting, and system monitoring.
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4.
BARBADOS NATIONAL CDM STRATEGY AND PROGRAMME
The proposed programme has a duration of two (2) years, covering the period 2004-2005, and focus primarily on the development of a national strategy and action plan for integration of comprehensive disaster management principles and procedures into the development planning processes in Barbados. The proposed programme addresses issues of development of a common vision and language, conducting the assessments required for a detailed understanding of the long-term developmental issues, and improving the capacity of the main institutions that coordinate both centralized and community processes.
4.1
Strategic Framework
The CDM strategic plan sets as its overarching goal the contribution to sustainable development in the Caribbean (Bisek et al 2001). Given that stated objective, the strategic framework for CDM in Barbados has to be linked to the sustainable development policy. However, the sustainable development policy developed for Barbados (2004) does not treat disaster management in any substantive way. Due to the fact that the CDM strategy was approved as the disaster management framework for Barbados, it is assumed that the Cabinet submission articulated the strategic objectives. Unfortunately, there is no apparent link between the two strategic directions, and as the previous chapters indicate, a level of uncertainty still exist concerning the convergence of the various approaches to disaster management in Barbados. The strategic objectives outlined below therefore focus on consolidation and articulation of the framework, as well as enhancement of the institutional framework for comprehensive disaster management.
4.1.1 National CDM Framework Strategic Objective: Articulate a clear vision of comprehensive disaster management within the context of the Barbadian development process. Main Findings of the Review • •
The staffs of institutions participating in the disaster management process in Barbados are not all cognizant of the conceptual framework that is referred to as Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM). There is a general sense of security based on the level of success achieved in responding to past disasters. As such there is some reluctance to change the mode of functioning.
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•
The agriculture and health sectors are currently two large gaps in the response mechanism, as disaster management associated with disease and pest outbreaks has not been clearly articulated.
Rationale for Action The deepening of the disaster management process in Barbados, as articulated by the CDM strategy, requires a shift from the current emphasis on response to more consistent work in all phases of the disaster management process. To further integrate disaster management into the routine development planning processes requires a fundamental shift in the way the development and regulatory agencies undertake national and sectoral planning. It is therefore important that the rationale, benefits, and functional relationships are clearly articulated and a cohesive framework for disaster management developed. Actions The more pertinent tasks would include: • Increasing the awareness of CDM by circulating the CDM framework to relevant stakeholders; • Circulating the Cabinet approval of CDM to stakeholders; • Assessment by the participating institution of how their current mandates and programmes fit into/support the CDM framework; • Preparation and circulation of a Working Document showing the relationship between the current national policies and efforts and the CDM framework; and • Hold a national consultation on CDM in Barbados. In addition to generating a common understanding of the process and language, the workshop could be used to determine the gaps, needs, activities, responsibilities, and timetable for action.
4.1.2 National CDM Strategy and Plan Strategic Objective: Develop a national strategy and action plan for integration of comprehensive disaster management principles and procedures into the development planning processes in Barbados. Main Findings of the Review • •
Several response plans exist for events such as oil spills. These were prepared by different agencies at different times. An attempt is now being made to integrate these various plans into one multi-hazard disaster plan. Sectoral disaster planning was initiated for only a few sectors, and none has thus far been completed.
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• •
There are critical gaps in the management framework, such as the absence of appropriate research to support the various hard engineering and soft path prevention and mitigation measures. The current strategic plan focuses only on the CERO Secretariat, and its proposal to become the BNEMA. There is little focus on strategic programmatic linkages to support the process.
Rationale for Action It is clearly necessary for the different institutions and sectors to understand how CDM impact on their policies (and vice versa) and strategies, the implications for economic growth and social development, and thus the programmes they need to develop to protect their sector assets. The process of preparation of a national strategy and action plan for the target sector is a proven mechanism to determine those issues. Actions Major tasks include: • Undertaking sector assessments and preparing sector plans; • Conducting cross-sectoral reviews of critical supporting elements of the disaster management process (debris disposal, building codes, information technology/information management, policy and legislation, incentives, development control, risk assessment, etc.); and • Preparation of national disaster strategy and plan.
4.1.3
Capacity Building for CERO
Strategic Objective: Enhance the institutional capacity for guiding the disaster management process by improving the capacity of CERO/BNEMA. Major Findings of the Review • • • •
The legislative framework does not currently provide CERO with the authority necessary for effective coordination of all phases of disaster management. The current capacity of CERO is inadequate for the Secretariat to effectively discharge their current and proposed mandates. The collaborative arrangements between the CERO Secretariat and the other participating institutions need strengthening. There need to be more effective communication.
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Rationale for Action The 2001 CDM strategy clearly identifies criteria to evaluate the readiness of the national disaster organization. Using those criteria to assess CERO showed that CERO was not at the desired level of readiness to lead the CDM process. Clearly that capacity has to be improved. However, there is a proposal to reorganise CERO, and the actions proposed below are very similar to those contained in the proposal. Actions The tasks could include: • Revision of the legislative framework for the CERO; • Provision of the necessary staffing and decision support systems; • Development of a comprehensive data management system, to which the participating institutions will be allowed access; and • Staff training.
4.1.4 Revitalisation of the District Emergency Organisations Strategic Objective: Enhance the opportunities and capacity for communities to participate in the disaster management process. Major Findings of the Review • •
There is a perception that the structural design and operation of the DEOs are linked to the political process, a perception that reduces the support base and effectiveness of the DEOs. There is no development plan in place for the DEOs.
Rationale for Action Communities are in the forefront of the disaster management process. They directly undertake many of the activities that exacerbate the impact of disasters (indiscriminate dumping of solid waste, landform changes, etc.). Conversely, they are the first responders in the event of a disaster, and in the case of disasters such as hurricanes, community groups may be the only ones that can assist their residents during the actual event. Just as important, community approaches to effecting social change and action can be very effective. Actions are often more targeted and smaller in scope, and thus more manageable. Additionally, communities are usually not constrained by the budgetary cycles and procedural constraints affecting government agencies. Barbados CDM Review-Draft 2
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It is therefore critical to the success of the disaster management process in Barbados that the community input to the process become more organised. Actions Major tasks would include: • Preparation of a development plan for the DEOs; • Reorganization of the DEOs; • Provision of institutional capacity for the DEOs – paid administrative staff, financing mechanisms, training, appropriate decision-support systems and technology, etc.
4.2
Implementation Arrangements and Required Resources
Many of the programme elements given above are assessment and design tasks. The expertise to undertake a number of the tasks are not resident within CERO. More importantly, implementation of this programme would not relieve CERO of its routine obligations. Based on the above, it is recommended that a small project team be established for the purpose of implementing this programme. The team would report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, with the CERO Secretariat functioning as their counterpart. Additional resources would have to be provided to implement this programme; and would include: • Funds to pay project team, consultants, and purchase equipment and support systems; • Technical assistance – to be provided as short-term consultants or project staff. • Computer hardware and software. • Staff time from the participating institutions to deal with the programmatic issues.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alleyne Planning Associates. 2003. Model National Hazard Mitigation Policy for the Caribbean. CDERA & Caribbean Development Bank. March 2003 Barbados Ministry of Tourism. 2001. Annual Tourism Statistical Digest. Bisek, Paul, Eleanor Jones, & Conrad Ornstein. 2001. A Strategy and Results Framework for Comprehensive Disaster Management in the Caribbean. Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency. June 15, 2001. Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency. 2003. Status of Hazard Maps Vulnerability Assessments and Digital Maps. Draft Final Report, December 2003. Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency. Operationalizing the CDM Strategy and Framework: Beyond 2001. Undated copy of presentation slides. Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency. Information and Education Policy ad Strategy. Undated. Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency and Caribbean Development Bank. 2003. Model National Hazard Mitigation Policy for the Caribbean. March 2003. Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency and Caribbean Development Bank. 2003. Preparation of a National Hazard Mitigation Policy: Guidance Document. March 2003. Caribbean Group for Cooperation in Economic Development. 2002. Natural Hazard Management in the Caribbean: Revisiting the Challenge. Discussion Paper. The World Bank. Caribbean Law Institute. 1992. The Environmental Laws of the Commonwealth Caribbean. Commercial Law Monograph Series No. 1. University of the West Indies. Central Emergency Relief Organisation. Work Programme 2004-2005. February 12, 2004. Central Emergency Relief Organisation. Major Achievements of the Central Emergency Relief Organisation in the Last 10 Years. Fax to CDERA dated November 4, 2001. Central Emergency Relief Organisation. Strategic Plan 2000-2010. Undated. Central Emergency Relief Organisation. Strategic Plan 2001-2010. Undated. Central Emergency Relief Organisation. Information Brochure. Undated. Barbados CDM Review-Draft 2
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CERO. Establishment of Barbados National Emergency Management System: Appendix 2 – Standing Committees. Undated. CERO. Establishment of Barbados National Emergency Management System: Appendix 3 – National Emergency Operation Center. Undated. CERO. Establishment of Barbados National Emergency Management System: Appendix 4 – Parish Emergency Response Teams. Undated. CERO. Establishment of Barbados National Emergency Management System: Appendix 5 – District Emergency Organisation. Undated. CERO. Establishment of Barbados National Emergency Management System: Appendix 6 – Proposed Staff Structure. Undated. Coastal Zone Management Unit. 1998. Integrated Coastal Management: The Barbados Policy Framework. Government of Barbados. October 1998. Department of Regional Development and Environment. 1991. Primer on Natural Hazard Management in Integrated Regional Development Planning. Organization of American States. Fisheries Division. 2003. Barbados Fishing Industry Hurricane Preparedness: Fisheries Division Response Plan 2003. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. June 2003. Government of Barbados. Tourism Development Act, 2002-7: Supplement to Official Gazette dated 17th June, 2002. http://www.cdera.org http://www.oas.org/documents/eng/publications.asp http://www.worldbank.org/cgced Jones, Eleanor, Paul Bisek, & Conrad Ornstein. 2001. Comprehensive Disaster Management in the Caribbean: Baseline Study. CDERA. June 15, 2001. Lopez-Portillo, Arturo. 2001. Status of Disaster Preparedness of CDERA Participating States. CDERA. May 2001. Ministry of Physical; Development and Environment. State of the Environment Report 2000. Government of Barbados. 2001.
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Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Disaster Preparedness Plan 2003. Government of Barbados. Undated. Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports. Central Emergency Relief Organisation Emergency Shelters 2002. Government of Barbados. Undated. Ministry of Health. Health Services Standing Committee. Government of Barbados. Ministry of Health. Excerpt from the Plan of Action. Government of Barbados. Undated. Ministry of Tourism. 2001. Green Paper on the Sustainable Development of Tourism in Barbados: A Policy Framework. Government of Barbados. August 2001. National Habitat II Preparatory Committee. 1996. Habitat II: The Barbados National Report and Action Plan. Government of Barbados. March 1996. United Nations Environment Programme. 2002. Global Environment Outlook 3. University of the Virgin Islands. 1998. Tropical Phenomena Curriculum Project. October 1998.
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APPENDIX 1: TERMS OF REFERENCE
1.0
BACKGROUND The Caribbean Strategic Framework for Comprehensive Disaster Management developed in 2001 by CDERA with the support of USAID and UNDP identified five Intermediate Results that must be implemented in order to achieve the Strategy’s overall strategic objective of having “Comprehensive Disaster Management … integrated into the development processes of CDERA member countries”. One of these centred on the strengthening of national institutions to effectively lead the CDM process. This consultancy will provide initial support to two (2) CDERA Participating States in meeting this outcome.
2.0
PURPOSE This purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive capability assessment of the disaster management mechanism in Barbados and Grenada (the “Target States”) to determine their adequacy for promoting and propelling the CDM Agenda at the national level and the development of a national CDM strategy and programme for each target state.
3.0
WORK ASSIGNMENT Within a participatory and consultative environment, the Consultant will undertake a comprehensive assessment of Barbados and Grenada’s national disaster management programme. Specifically, the Consultant will: 3.1
3.2
Review the following documentation to inform the focus of the assignment: 3.1.1
CDM Strategy and Baseline Study
3.1.2
Available reports on the National Consultations with the Plan of Action
3.1.3
Results of Preparedness Audits
3.1.4
National CDM Strategic Framework (where it exists)
3.1.5
National Disaster and Development Plans
3.1.6
Any existing legislative instrument
After reviewing the documentation at 3.1 above, develop and share for the approval of the CDERA Coordinating Unit, a strategy and plan for the execution of the assignment.
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3.3
Conduct an institutional assessment of each of the targeted National Disaster Organizations to determine adequacy for promoting and propelling the CDM agenda at the national level. In conducting the institutional assessment, the Consultant will review the following focus areas: 3.3.1
Legal Authority
3.3.2
Hazard Analysis and Multi-Year Development Planning
3.3.3
Hazard Identification, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
3.3.4
Information Capabilities
3.3.5
Alert and Warning
3.3.6
Direction and Control
3.3.7
Operations and Logistics
3.3.8
Shelter Management and Evacuation Planning
3.3.9
National Emergency Communications capabilities for response
Management,
Communications
and
Mass
Media
3.3.10 Exercises and Drills 3.3.11 Resources Management 3.3.12 Public Education and Training Each area listed above should be comprehensively addressed and should include: (1) Strengths, (2) Areas needing special attention, (3) Recommended course of action (if required), and (4) Identification of organization/institution with primary responsibility for addressing areas needing attention. 3.4
Confer with the following entities to identify areas of strength and potential improvement within the disaster management programme 3.4.1
Staff of the National Disaster Organization and other co-opted personnel involved in the national disaster management mechanism
3.4.2
Governmental Agencies, Non-governmental and Private sector agencies that interact routinely with the NDO
3.5
Analyze how the existing local political climate could impact on the CDM agenda and make recommendations on the steps needed to drive the required systematic change for CDM.
3.6
Prepare a draft Report (one per Target country) for the Coordinating Unit to be discussed by the Consultants with the local stakeholders.
3.7
Develop a draft program, in consultation with local stakeholders, to build CDM capacity of the national disaster office and the country’s national disaster management mechanism in general.
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3.8
4.0
Prepare and submit, to the CERA-CU, a Final Report documenting the process and summarizing the issues emanating from the assessment and incorporating the feedback from the stakeholder interventions at 3.6 above.
CDERA’S INPUTS CDERA will:
5.0
4.1
Provide the background documents detailed in Section 3.1.1 to 3.1.4 above upon receipt of the signed contract
4.2
Travel for 1 consultant to Grenada and 1 to Barbados for a maximum of 2 missions per country
4.3
DSA at the UN rate to support travel detailed in 4.2 above
4.4
A designated contact person in Grenada and Barbados who would provide assistance with organizing logistics (including transportation) and relevant interviews/meetings
4.5
A CDERA Coordinating Unit staff liaison
CONSULTANT’S OUTPUTS 5.1
Implementation Plan and Strategy for the execution of the assignment to be completed by December 30, 2003.
5.2
Report of the institutional assessment in keeping with the focus areas detailed at 3.3 above to include: 5.2.1 Recommendations for restructuring the National Disaster Organization and programme to incorporate CDM principles 5.2.2 A report on significant information gaps identified in the current planning processes and, where available, suggestions of sources for the new information.” Draft Report to be submitted by January 20, 2004 with final Report due on February 17, 2004.
5.3
National CDM Strategies and draft programmes (One for Barbados and the other for Grenada), which detail the approach, needed to transform systems, structures and operations in Barbados and Grenada to achieve effective CDM implementation at the national level, to be completed by February 17, 2004.
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APPENDIX 2: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF TEAM MEMBERS Bruce Potter (B.A.) is President and Chief Information Officer for Island Resources Foundation. He has been associated with the Foundation since 1978, and has been a Trustee since 1980. Since his service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Chile in the mid-1960's Bruce has worked on problems of development, mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially the adaptation and development of information tools for development. In addition, he has managed development projects for communities in tropical developing countries, including Central and South America, West Africa, Indonesia, Chile, and the Caribbean. Since re-joining Island Resources Foundation in 1995, Mr. Potter has concentrated on Tourism and Disaster Mitigation Planning, in addition to creating environmental web sites (including http://www.irf.org), and moderating two dozen environmental mailing lists for insular Caribbean interests. In support of global communications for sustainable development of small islands, Bruce has supported SIDSNet, the Island Web Consortium, and he is on the Board of the Global Islands Network. Mr. Potter has also served as a member of the Board and Secretary of the Caribbean Conservation Association. From 1989 to 1994, Mr. Potter worked for American Management Systems, where he focused principally on the organisation and management of programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Potter has also worked for the Planning Department of the Exploration and Producing Division of Mobil Oil (1980 to 1985), for the Government of the US Virgin Islands and for the VI delegate to Congress (1975-1980), and he and his wife cruised the Eastern Caribbean for several years in the early 1970's.
Lloyd Gardner (M.Sc.) is an environmental planner who has been involved in environmental management in Jamaica and the Caribbean for more than 20 years. Mr. Gardner’s experience spans both the public and private sectors, starting with the Government of Jamaica in 1982, where as a Director in the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (1988-1991), he was responsible for policy development and program planning in coastal zone management, national parks, and development control. Additionally, Mr. Gardner served on the Board of Directors and Advisory Committees of several planning agencies. Since joining the private sector as a business consultant in 1992, Mr. Gardner has provided environmental consulting services to a wide range of regional and international private, intergovernmental, civil society, bilateral, and multilateral organizations. Mr. Gardner maintains active involvement in Jamaican, Caribbean, and international nongovernmental organizations, primarily with the Caribbean Conservation Association at the regional level, and the World Commission on Protected Areas at the international level. Relevant assignments undertaken by Mr. Gardner or Environmental Support Services, LLC can be found at: http://www.ess-caribbean.com.
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APPENDIX 3: CONTACT LIST Name CDERA Evan Inniss
Post
Email
CDM Programme Officer
[email protected]
Audrey Mullings
Deputy Coordinator
[email protected]
Donovan Gentles
Preparedness & Response Manager
[email protected]
Phone 246-4250386
Elizabeth Riley
Programme Manager,
[email protected] Mitigation & Research USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance Regional Advisor
[email protected] [email protected]
Deputy Resident Representative
[email protected]
UNDP
CERO Judy Thomas
Director of
[email protected] Emergency Services
Ministry of Environment Senior Environmental Derek Oderson Officer Ricardo Ward
[email protected]
246-4278513 246-4369945 246-4675704
Project Manager
Senior Administrative Officer Sustainable Amrikha Singh Development Officer Environmental Kim Downes Officer-Biodiversity Ministry of Agriculture Michael Hunte Actg. Chief Agricultural Officer Ministry of Housing Nicole Griffith Housing Planner Pat Barrow Chief Housing Planner Hugh Springer
Barbados CDM Review-Draft 2
[email protected]
[email protected]
246-4284060
[email protected]
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Name
Post
Email
Royal Barbados Police Force John Collymore Actg. Assistant Commissioner Bentley Layne Senior Superintendent Fire Service Anthony Actg. Deputy Chief Blackman Fire Officer Ministry of Public Works Frank Thornhill Chief Technical Officer Coastal Zone Management Unit Leo Brewster Director Ron Goodridge Coastal Planner Fabian Hinds Research Officer Ricardo Arthur Civil Engineer Lorna Inniss Deputy Director Antonio Rowe Project Manager Ministry of Health Beverley Miller Chief Medical Officer Gwen Eastmond Drainage Unit Charles Head Yearwood Government Information Service Jackie Wiltshire Chief Information Officer Barbados Defense Force Maj. David Binks Capt. Granum Ministry of Tourism Gabrielle Springer Deputy Permanent Secretary Barbados Red Cross Edmond Director General Bradshaw Michael Grant Environmental Engineering Division Wendell Burnett Chief Environmental Engineering Assistant John Haynes DEO National Coordinator Barbados CDM Review-Draft 2
Phone 430-7105
[email protected]
430-7100 426-1326
429-3225
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
228-5955 228-5950-2 228-5950
[email protected]
426-3470
[email protected]
426-9695
[email protected]
426-2209
427-1587
436-6185
[email protected]
430-7507
[email protected]
426-2052
[email protected]
436-4820
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Name
Post
Email
Phone
Town & Country Development Planning Office Mark Cummins Chief Town Planner
[email protected] Paula Smith Senior Town Planner
[email protected] Trevor Leach Deputy Chief Town
[email protected] Planner
467-3000 467-3030 467-3080
MEETING SCHEDULE-BARBADOS January 12-16, 2004 Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Morning 1130 CDERA
0930 Ministry of Environment 1100 Ministry of Agriculture
0900 Police
0830 Ministry of Health
1130 Ministry of Tourism
Lloyd departs
1030 Fire Service 1100 Drainage Unit Afternoon
1430 Lloyd & USAID Bruce arrive in 1530 Barbados CERO
1330 Ministry of Housing
1300 Ministry of Public Works 1600 Coastal Zone
1400 GIS
1300 Red Cross
1500 BDF
1430 Env. Engineering Div. 1600 UNDP 1730 CERO
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APPENDIX 4: DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES OF SELECTED INSTITUTIONS
Barbados Defense Force • • • •
Functions as part of the CERO response mechanism; Functions as the primary response agency for aircraft emergencies, oil spills, and hazardous materials emergencies; Other support functions include search and rescue, logistical support, damage assessment, medical support, fire fighting; Post-event rehabilitation of properties, as selected by CERO.
Barbados Red Cross • • • • • • • •
Participates in the CAC; Provides First Aiders; Provides training in first aid and ambulance services; Can provide meals (through its Meals on Wheels programme); Can assist with international appeal; Provides support to mass-crowd events; Provides ambulance service to major traffic accidents; Can mobilize its international network to support post-event relief activities.
Coastal Zone Management Unit • • • • • • •
Participates in CAC; Participates in the oilspill response team. Currently working with the Environmental Engineering Division to update the oilspill contingency plan;; Provides advice on hazardous materials spills on land; Conducts post-event damage assessment for coastal floodplain and offshore systems Provides guidance for setback of coastal structures; Conducting modeling for sea level rise; Attempt to maintain natural coastal defenses, such as sand dunes.
Drainage Unit (Ministry of Works) • •
Flood prevention and alleviation; Provides support to community groups undertaking cleanup prior to start of hurricane season;
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• • • •
Storm water management, primarily through the construction and maintenance of drainage systems; Construction and maintenance of storm water wells, retention ponds, and check dams; Completion of hazard maps and vulnerability assessments intended; In the process of establishing a research desk.
Environmental Engineering Division • • • •
Provides advice on waste disposal; Addresses post-event water quality issues; Provides advice on a range of environmental parameters as necessary; Functions as secondary responders.
Fire Service • • • •
Participates in CAC and Emergency Operations Centre (EOC); Mobilises for natural disaster response; Participates in damage assessments, based on the request of the EOC; If there is no fire, the Fire Service acts in response to the CAC/EOC.
Government Information Service • • •
Coordinates communications on behalf of the EOC; In the process of installing backup systems for archival data/information; Review of support to event planning, response, and post-event communications to be undertaken in near future.
Ministry of Agriculture • • • •
Sits on CAC; Prepares disaster preparedness plan for provision of food supplies to the shelters; Provides vehicles for transporting goods to shelters; Undertake measures to prevent entry into country of diseases from countries where outbreaks exist.
Ministry of the Environment •
Sits on the CAC;
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• • •
Focuses on man-made threats. The Environmental Engineering Division deals with chemical hazards; Is consulted on natural hazards; Currently preparing report on social, economic, and environmental vulnerability for the SIDS+10 conference.
Ministry of Health • • • • •
Participates in the CAC; Coordinator for the Health Services Standing Committee; Participate in post-event impact assessment (Public Health Inspectors); Arranges for provision of health services and support systems for disaster response (first aid, storage of bodies, shelters, etc.); Deals with debris removal (through Sanitation Services Authority).
Ministry of Housing • • • •
Participates in the CAC; Prepares inventory of building materials each May; The National Housing Corporation addresses the issue of standards and building codes in the construction of homes; Participates in social survey of impacted areas and persons after disaster events – data includes type of structure (house), damage, household characteristics, household demographics, etc. The survey is coordinated with the National Housing Corporation and the Welfare Department, and the resulting information is submitted to CERO.
Ministry of Public Works • • • • • • • • •
Participates in the CAC and EOC; Responsible for trimming trees at the start of each hurricane season; Shut-down of main government central offices prior to event; Mobilises 8 of 13 depots to respond to disaster events; Responsible for clearing roads; Assist with/coordinate transport; Loan equipment to other agencies in some instances; Assists with home repairs; Conducts routine activities to reduce impacts of disasters: - Undertakes projects to reduce flooding in low-lying areas (construction of check dams, clearing of water courses, etc.), - Road and bridge repairs.
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Ministry of Tourism •
Disaster-related activities mainly carried out by other tourism sector institutions, such as the Barbados Tourism Authority.
Police • • • • • • •
Supports other agencies in responding to manmade disaster events, such as fires; Participates in land and sea rescue efforts; In charge of crowd control; Provides security for the command centre for event response; Station Sergeants assist in damage assessment at the constituency level; Required by Standing Orders to maintain a Major Incidents and Emergency Duties Plan; Undergoing re-organisation to place all major incidents, including natural disasters, under the command of one (1) central high-level officer. The current Police disaster structure includes an International Coordinator, a Deputy International Coordinator, a National Coordinator, and a Deputy National Coordinator.
Town & Country Development Planning Office • • • •
Participates in CAC and EOC; Participates on committee developing the enabling legislation for the building codes; Addresses disaster issues as part of comprehensive planning, primarily through land use designations; Addresses natural hazard issues in the development control process by incorporating such issues into the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process.
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