May 2012: Senior government officials from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency’s (CDEMA) Central Sub-region have convened for a second annual round of consultations.

Disaster management officials from Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines met on 8-9 May 2012 in Warrens, Barbados. Barbados serves as the CDEMA Sub-Regional Focal Point (SRFP) for the Central Sub-region.

The meeting featured what officials from Barbados’ Department of Emergency Management (DEM), the host, characterize as “policy and operation level interaction and relationship building.” Participants were familiarized with the outcomes of the SRFP assessment and guide on actions and next steps. The meeting also offered them an opportunity to provide input into the logistic and sub-regional plan development process. A short simulation exercise was also conducted, to test the mobilization of resources within the sub-region.

The consultations are part of the broader three-year Disaster Risk Management Sub-Regional Programme, which received EU funding of €1.8 million. The Programme aims to build the resilience of Caribbean States to hazard impacts. The consultations seek to improve the capacity of the SRFPs to respond to disasters within their sub-regions.

The first round of consultations, held in 2011, focused on the sub-regional structure, functions and coordination arrangements, and identified resource gaps in disaster response for each State. The 2012 consultations focus on familiarizing stakeholders with national and regional disaster operational plans, as well as the roles and responsibilities of SRFPs in the CDEMA Regional Response Mechanism.

The first sub-regional meeting in the second round was held in Antigua and Barbuda in February 2012. Others are planned for the two remaining SRFPs, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. [CDEMA Press Release]