A three-day workshop on disaster resilience held in Antigua and Barbuda
NODS: Over 20 stakeholders from various sectors of society convened at the John E. St. Luce Conference Center this week for a three-day workshop focused on bolstering disaster resilience in Antigua and Barbuda.
The workshop which ended on Wednesday was organized by the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with support from the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS).
It brought together key actors including the Antigua Barbuda Defense Force, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, Women Against Rape, the Antigua Barbuda Met Service, the Ministry of Social Transformation, Ministry of Tourism and many others.
Centered on the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative, the workshop explored important topics such as Disaster Resilience for human security, Disaster Displacement, and the Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for St. John’s. Participants engaged in dynamic discussions and collaborative exercises designed to strengthen the city’s capacity to withstand and recover from disasters.
A key outcome of the workshop will be the development of a comprehensive Local Resilience Strategy and Action Plan specifically tailored to the needs of St. John’s and St. George’s parishes. This plan will serve as a guide for enhancing preparedness, response, and recovery efforts in the face of various hazards, and with a view to protecting people, their livelihoods, infrastructure and the environment.
Anderson Tuitt, Preparedness Manager at NODS, emphasized the need for anticipatory action when it pertains to flooding in St. John’s. “It’s not enough to clean the drains, but perhaps some engineering work to construct new bridges and other means of managing the flow of rainwater in St. John’s.”
Other participants, such as Dr. Adelle Blair from the Ministry of Tourism, highlighted that St. John’s needs to be improved holistically. She emphasized that “Tackling the littering situation, the upkeep of buildings, managing the congestion on the roadways, emphasizing green spaces and walkability, all contribute to the cleanliness and by extension, resilience of St. John’s City.”
Alana Lewis, Technical Consultant – MCR2030 Caribbean, emphasized the significance of the workshop in empowering local communities to take ownership of their own resilience, ensuring the most vulnerable populations are not left behind.
Mali Barnes, Technical Consultant for the Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative, highlighted the complementary nature of these efforts: “Work is underway to ensure that Antigua and Barbuda is covered against a wide variety of hazards through EW4ALL, and now, with MCR2030, we are further strengthening community-level resilience.”
This initiative builds upon ongoing efforts to strengthen Antigua and Barbuda’s multi-hazard early warning system through the EW4ALL initiative launched last year.
The workshop marks a significant step forward in Antigua and Barbuda’s journey towards comprehensive disaster resilience. Future workshops are planned to extend this important work to the remaining parishes and Barbuda, ensuring that the entire nation is equipped to face the challenges of a changing climate and disaster risk landscape.
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