THE CHANGING PROFILE OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN THE CARIBBEAN NEW AND EMERGING THREATS Jeremy Collymore Coordinator, CDERA for the Ministry of Tourism Third Multi-Hazard Disaster Management Symposium Sherbourne Conference Centre, Barbados August 24, 2007 The last decade and half in the Caribbean has exposed the vulnerability of our communities and highlighted the unsustainability of our current development approaches. However measured, disaster losses appear to be on the increase, with the exception of fatalities. These losses setback development in the short-to-medium terms. During the 2004/2005 period many countries suffered significant damage and economic losses as a result of the impact of a diversity of hazards, including hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. Page 1 of 6
Even in those states in which the impact of the system may have been deemed marginal, the losses were very noticeable. Whilst fatalities are generally on the decline there must be broad based concern about the significant losses that are occurring in our social and productive sectors. According to ECLAC (2005) more than 80% of the losses associated with the 2004 Hurricanes occurred in these sectors. This reality requires more than passive awareness within the Tourism Sector. It should generate an urgent review of the vulnerability of the sector to hazards to which it is exposed in the Caribbean. IMPACT ON THE TOURISM SECTOR Tourism is the major economic earner in most Caribbean States and accounts for more than 40% of GDP in these countries. The Caribbean has been described as the most tourism-dependant region in the world. The World Tourism and Travel Council reported that travel and tourism in this region as a whole in 2004 accounted for 16% employment, 22% capital investment, 18% total exports and 9% government expenditure. The question that must therefore be asked is what efforts are being made within the sector to mitigate the potential losses and also shorten the period of recovery. Any disaster loss reduction should be informed by a recognition that we are operating in a period of more frequent and larger events. Page 2 of 6
MANAGING THE LOSSES: It is clear that there is an urgent need to upscale our disaster related planning in the tourism sector to incorporate the implications of this catastrophic era. This urgency is being compounded by increased urbanization, concentrated coastal development and the limited application of codes and standards. Our disaster loss reduction intervention will require that we break the Build-losereconstruct syndrome that currently pervades the region. It will require that we break the disruption process through a deliberate effort to link disaster management to sustainable development. This necessitates a comprehensive approach to disaster management anchored in Stakeholder dialogue. GLOBAL CHANGE A COMPLICATION There are several global phenomena that are widening the challenge of Caribbean resilience. Within the context of transboundary hazards, climate change is one of the most notable. The implications for Caribbean economy and society have been exposed elsewhere. Additionally, transboundary treats such as SARS, Avian Bird Flu and terrorism are demanding an intensity in and a revisit of our contingency planning process. The reason is clear. These hazards are a threat to world trade and economy. The transboundary threats go beyond regions, they threaten the very nature of western life as we have to come to know it. A service driven economy centred on Page 3 of 6
high speed communication and transportation infrastructure is especially vulnerable to these transboundary anthropenic hazards. The magnitude of the challenge has created an unheralded alliance between the public and private sectors in creating contingency structures and mitigation measures. The CDERA and Cable & Wireless C&W) agreement may be seen in this light. So too is that of Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and CDERA. The Caribbean will benefit from these developments. The regional private sector will now be directly drawn into business continuity and recovery planning; an important element of corporate governance. The private and state sectors desire to minimize disruption to tourism, a key economic driver, will inevitably touch allied services and sectors, including water, electricity, agriculture and transportation. Indeed we must see this as an opportunity for embracing the intersectoral dialogue and planning indispensable for vulnerability reduction. One can reasonably expect that these exogenous factors will herald a change in disaster management practice, at least for anthrogenic hazards. This is especially so because there will be an intensity of investment of resources to alter the threat to the world economy in the short-term. Compliance in loss reduction has now become an important part of the standards for participating in this global economy. Such resource intensity for natural hazard risk management which is usually post-impact will now, be pro-actively engaged. Page 4 of 6
WHAT DOES THIS GLOBAL FOCUS CHANGE FOR US This is an important area for enquiry. The recent developments with the transboundary threats of SARS, Avian Bird Flu and Terrorism reinforce the notion, and maybe reality, that we recognize our best interest when it is framed from outside. Our best interventions have less to with our notions of risk avoidance, acceptance or distribution but more to do with participation in the external economy. To the extent that traditional hazard management does not recognize and embrace this inevitable, it will continue to be marginal to development planning and decision-making. TRADITIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT CONDEMNED? The traditional disaster management will continue to survive, especially once we continue to experience frequent devastating events. Plans and planning will continue to improve. These will not require any significant reallocation of resources. However, they will remain unidimensional until disaster management professionals and stakeholders are able to transfer global plan of actions, such as the MDGs, BPOA and the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) into tangible connectors to the world economy and trade. What is needed now is disaster diplomacy. The diplomacy must be anchored in a process that is informed by adequate data generated through research and analysis and that reflects our context. The outputs of this fact based context sensitive research will then need to be prepared and packaged for national decision-making systems and Page 5 of 6
representatives in the metropolis and to international fora that shape world trade policy and risk reduction programming. In every instance our response to the proposals generated in the international fora, must be riveted in consideration of the vulnerability they generate for us. This will require that in our respective capitals there is an explicit state policy on risk reduction. This is necessary to frame a common vision for all Stakeholders in the risk management agenda. This Symposium must therefore be seen as an important platform in that process. Page 6 of 6