CDERA holds talks on flood mapping

The third Regional Seminar on Flood Hazard Mapping and its use in community disaster planning in the Caribbean officially opened last evening at the Sunset Shores Hotel.

Over 35 delegates representing member countries of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) are attending the three-day conference. {{more}}

National Disaster Co-ordinator Howie Prince, in his opening remarks said that CDERA undertook the project with the intention to deal with the “acute” problem in the Caribbean. He further noted that the region was faced with the problem of flooding more than any other natural disaster.

Co-ordinator of CDERA, Jerry Collymore also stressed the effects of flooding in the region. He said 290,000 people were affected by the recent flooding in Guyana.

Collymore said the project represents the opportunity to place disaster management to the fore front.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning Conrad Sayers in delivering the keynote address said that the loss of lives and livestock in Guyana brought a sense of empathy. Sayers added that the Asian Tsunami disaster also brought an awakening to many. He noted that the main lesson learnt from these disasters is the need to reduce risk and establish better warning systems.

The Caribbean Disaster Management project (CADM) will officially end in July. It is being conducted in conjunction with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)