Caribbean Disaster Preparedness Seminar

Montego Bay Jan 9-10, 2001

Target audience: Ministers of Finance, Directors of Civil Defense, and RSS members

THEME: Political and Economic Decision Making Responsibilities for Disaster Loss Reduction

Tuesday, Jan 9, 2001

0800 to 08:30: Introduction to members of seminar opening ceremony (Dr. Carby)

National Anthem of Jamaica

National Anthem (US)

0830 to 9:30: Caribbean Disaster Preparedness Seminar 01

Opening Ceremony

CDERA ( Mr. Collymore)

Special Envoy to the Americas ( Gov. MacKay)

Commander in Chief, US Southern Command (General Pace)

Minister of Water and Housing, Jamaica (Dr. Karl Blythe)

09:30-09:45 a.m.: Coffee Break

SESSION I Vulnerability Assessment And Indexing

09:45-10:15 a.m. : Panel Discussion: Forging a multi-hazard assessment for Kingston experiences

(Dr. Carby and Ms. Surgeon to finalize panelists (Mayor and private sector)

10:15-10:45 a.m. : Vulnerability Index – Overview, political implications and technical challenges

(Jan Vermeiren – OAS presentation

10:45-11:45 a.m. : Panel Discussion: Multilateral Financial Institutions (MFI), and Mitigation & Reconstruction Financing

1. Bank policies on mitigation and reconstruction financing challenges in implementation of their policy.

lDB & World Bank: Bertrand and Hughes to finalize presenters

CDB: Neville Nicholls – President

2. Presentation by recipient countries (2 countries).

Implementation guidelines and constraints

Ms. Particia Westcott (St. Kitts-Nevis), Joyce Thomas (Grenada)

Mr Anthony Sylvester - Belize

12:00-01:30 p.m.: Lunch

AFTERNOON

01:30-03:30 p.m. Investment in disaster management organizations (two presentations, one by CDERA and CEPREDENAC. Regional Overview and individual presentations by designated countries regarding emerging systems. (Intent is to show Ministers the value of pre-investment in disaster management).

(Session Chair: Dr. Carby)

CDERA – (Mr. Collymore)

CEPREDENAC- (Dr. Novelo)

British Virgin Islands - Mr. Elton Georges (Deputy Governor British Virgin Islands)

St Kitts - Carl Herbert (St. Kitts National Disaster Coordinator)

OFDA/ Jamaica - (Jennifer Worrell)

03:30-03:45 p.m. : Coffee Break

03:45-05:00 p.m.: Early warning systems: Policy implications of using and monitoring EW systems

(Session Chair: Mr. Collymore)

Case Study – Rio Lempa Project: Joao de Queiroz, Guatemala& Jorge Cabrera

Hurricane tracking and forecasting: deciding on closing down the country: Dr. Carby and Dr. Richard Pasch– U.S. National Hurricane Center )

Storm surge forecasting: development and evacuation planning implications (terms of policy and procedures): Horace Burton - Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology)

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2001

08:30-09:30 a.m.: Economic Impact of Disaster loss experiences – Economic & social Implications

(Chair – Dr. B. Spence)-ECCB (Easter Caribbean Central Bank) – Economic impact of last five years on the sub region

Panel participants (Kent Vital and Len Ishmael)

09:30-09:45 a.m.: Coffee Break

09:45-10:15 a.m.: Focus on Implications and Development

Tourism: Disaster Losses- Impact on projected development

(Karen Ford-Warner - CTO)

10:15-10:45 a.m.: Health Sector: public health impact of disasters on sustainable development.

(Dr. Van Alphen)

10:45-11:15 a.m.: Case study: Investment in mitigation and reconstruction in health facilities. (Tony Gibbs)

11:15-11:45 a.m.: Case study: Mitigation in reconstruction (Mansfield Blackwood – USAID/Jamaica)

AFTERNOON

Catastrophic Insurance and Financing Instruments

1:30-02:00 p.m.: Experience in catastrophe insurance policy and practices in L.A. (The Mexican Experience) (Jurg Hammer)

02:00-02:30 p.m. Review of Financial Instruments and Catastrophic Insurance for the Region – (Review of Financial Instruments (TBD): Arthur Evans Catastrophic Insurance Specialist (World Bank)

02:30-03:00 p.m.: Catastrophic Insurance and costs for insurance companies for developing countries. (Mr. David Deane and Alistar Campbell )

3:00-3:15 p.m.: Coffee Break

3:15-03:45 p.m.: Closing Remarks