Capacity-building project for at-risk communities successful

BY LUKE DOUGLAS Environment Watch senior reporter douglasl@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A project aimed at strengthening the capacity of nearly 60 vulnerable communities to manage and mitigate disasters has been hailed a success by Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) Ronald Jackson.

But although he is now more optimistic about the island's preparedness to face disasters, Jackson is calling on whoever forms the government after the election tomorrow, as well as non-state partners, to invest in improving the Jamaica's infrastructure to enhance its ability to recover after natural disasters.

At the beginning of the hurricane season in June this year, Jackson announced that 56 moderately to highly vulnerable communities across the island had been chosen for the capacity-building project.

To date, ODPEM has completed intervention in all of these communities with disaster mitigation plans developed for all, Jackson told Environment Watch.

A number of other activities have been taking place in the communities which are diverse in their locations, some being in coastal areas while others in hilly terrain.

Jackson said the projects which are implemented by ODPEM or in partnership with non-government organisations, such as Blue Cross or the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica, involved training in a number of modules.

These include light level search and rescue, damage assessment at the community level, first aid, shelter management, and project writing.

He said 20 to 25 persons are trained at a time in the projects which have been proceeding well, but have taken a break for the Christmas and election period, but will resume in January and continue until March next year.

"We are very excited that the projects we have embarked on will contribute to building awareness and knowledge in the community and will serve as a key investment should disasters occur," the ODPEM boss said. "We are looking to replicate this over and over in the 300-plus moderately to highly vulnerable communities (in Jamaica)."

Jackson mentioned what he termed highly practical activities, such as the replanting of mangroves in Portland Cottage and other communities on the south coast of Clarendon to mitigate further storm surge damage, and the establishment of a early warning system against flooding in Annatto Bay in St Mary.

Funding has been in two traunches — US$1 million from the Inter-American Development Bank and the Jamaican Government, and US$700,000 from the Canadian International Development Agency along with matching Government of Jamaica funds.

Jackson noted that as community groups build their own capacity to manage disaster risk, they can put themselves in a position to bid for funding from other sources.

While acknowledging that the hurricane season was very quiet this year, Jackson said it was important that investment be made in disaster management, such as infrastructure maintenance, proper waste disposal and reduction of squatting during quiet periods.

"Figures presented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica shows we're tracking on average $14 billion in losses as a result of cyclonic events and over $7 billion to replace infrastructure prior to this year. We will never have enough cots, blankets and food for these persons in vulnerable communities. The reality is we have to smartly and strategically drive down the vulnerability of these persons."

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Capacity-building project for at-risk communities successful