A hurricane’s calling card

Here are excerpts of presentation by Br Erik Blommestein Coordinator, Environment and Technology, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America & Caribbean and presented  at Venturepoint 2005 in Grenada. It was titled, “Disaster Recovery — The Caribbean Experience.”

Meteorologists worldwide have predicted that this year’s hurricane season will see storms with more intensity than those which affected the region last year.  How can we prepare for the impending disasters? More importantly, how do we recover? This is the issue still being faced by the islands which were devastated by the passage of Hurricane Ivan last year. In looking at disaster recovery, there are three phases which must be considered.  The first is evaluation.  What was the extent of the damage and the possible consequences for all sectors of the economy. 

We must be mindful that whilst the economic impact will be most evident with losses in all major sectors, there will also be significant social impacts, with basic necessities, such as food, water and shelter being disrupted and in some instances completely eradicated.  The loss of economic viability will also impact on the social sectors, as there will be no jobs, and so no chance for revenue generation for a number of persons.  Once the extent and consequences have been ascertained, the question can now be asked, what is required to start bringing things back to a semblance of normalcy. There were other urgent needs, such as electricity, fuel, phone services, but whilst these needs were urgent, they were not as important as the other basic needs. 

Another immediate need was that of disease prevention.  With the lack of basic amenities, there was a very conducive environment for the rapid spread of diseases. Grenada and other countries affected by last year’s storms, have only just started on the next phase, which is rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction.  Again, projects need to be prioritised to ensure that critical facilities and infrastructure are rebuilt first. As the rebuilding begins, we must look at some of the factors which can help to prevent future destruction and devastation.  Where was the majority of damage felt? Was it island-wide or isolated?  This will give an indication as to where settlements, industry and economic zones should be situated. What construction techniques are being employed? Will the new buildings that are being put up be able to withstand future storms of this or even greater magnitude. 

Is the physical environment being rebuilt as well? Forests would need to be replanted to provide a natural cover for hillsides to prevent erosion and landslides and natural watercourses may need to be cleared and in some cases widened to ensure that there is a free channel for water run off.  Is there adequate risk and emergency planning? Are there sufficient shelters and are these designated buildings being reinforced to be able to withstand the force of these storms? Do the citizens know where the shelters are and the route that they should take in an emergency in order to get there safely? A low probability of the occurrence of an event, does not mean that it could never happen.

We can learn from the devastation that rocked our Caricom neighbors and heed the recommendations for improvement.  There should be a comprehensive disaster management policy which includes the promotion of economic instruments and risk reduction strategies, hazard mapping and the storage of emergency supplies. 

Building codes and land use need to be revisited and the laws enforced. There should be the establishment of small grants, soft loan facilities and community micro financing facilities with particular focus on vulnerable groups such as small farmers, traders and women headed households. Our schools, health centers and other critical infrastructure need to be improved to ensure early resilience following a major storm, bearing in mind that many of these facilities are also our emergency shelters. Perhaps most importantly, however, would be the establishment of social mechanisms to cope with post disaster stress. The hurricane season is upon us, are we as a country ready?