Representatives from over 20 organisations that make up the technical advisory body of the National Emergency Advisory Council (NEAC) of NaDMA were present at the kick-off meeting for the National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment (NDPBA) project held at the NaDMA’s Conference Room.
Paulo C Fernandes Jr of the Pacific Disaster Centre (PDC), facilitated the meeting and shared the framework of the NDPBA for Grenada. He also provided a forum for discussion on key disaster management/risk reduction topics in Grenada, and allowed participants to exchange disaster management experiences, best practices, and data collection strategies.
The NDPBA is a sustainable system for accessing, understanding, updating, and applying critical risk information in decision-making. It provides the necessary tools, scientific data, and evidence-based practices to effectively reduce disaster risk and inform decisions at the national, subnational, and local levels.
The NDPBA includes a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) and PDC’s unique Disaster Management Analysis (DMA). The RVA examines several components of risk including exposure to hazards, vulnerability, coping capacity, and existing disaster management capabilities.
The findings of the RVA are then contextualized through the lens of the Disaster Management Agency (DMA). The DMA identifies disaster management capacity gaps and opportunities within the context of risks identified and provides disaster management recommendations designed to increase resilience and reduce disaster risk.
Findings of this analysis are compiled into a 5-Year Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Plan, offering practical solutions and actions to be taken over a 5-year period.
Following this kick-off meeting, stakeholders will engage in data-gathering exercises. The data will be compiled, analysed, and a report submitted for review. Once accepted by the main body, the data will be used to guide crucial disaster management-related decisions.
The NDBPA is funded through the United States Military Liaison Office (USMLO) Barbados and Eastern Caribbean, US Embassy, Barbados, and is supported and funded by the US Southern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance Programme (HAP) Directorate.
Grenada is not the first for the implementation of this project, as it was already conducted in Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
NaDMA, the official source for all disaster-related information in Grenada.
