The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) on Thursday introduced blockchain technology to support its disaster management and climate change mitigation efforts.
The Barbados-based CDEMA unveiled Disaster Fights NFT (non-fungible token) cards with digital tokens representing each Caribbean state. They can be purchased by prospective buyers using the SuperWorld marketplace. Proceeds from these purchases will go directly towards CDEMA and other regional emergency agencies.
CDEMA’s Communication and Public Relations Specialist, Andrea Austin underlined the importance of investing in new and unique ways of raising much needed funds and attention towards disaster preparedness in the region.
She said: “Technology has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, and disaster management is no exception. CDEMA’s comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy (CDM) for 2014-2024, identifies ICT as a crosscutting theme to be applied in all of our priority areas – strengthening institutional arrangements for CDM, increased and sustained learning for CDM, improved integration at all CDM levels, and strengthened and sustained community resilience.
“It follows that fundraising in disaster management is also trending towards technology, specifically cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.”
Amid record-setting natural disasters all over the globe, from deadly wildfires in Greece, to sustained heatwaves in Europe and America, the region must continue to bolster its disaster readiness, Austin insisted.
She noted the report produced earlier this week by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that confirms global surface temperature was 1.09 degrees Celsius higher in the decade between 2011 and 2020, compared to between 1850 and 1900.
Austin added: “The report also stated that the past five years have been the hottest on record since 1850, and that the recent rate in sea level rise has nearly tripled compared to what it was between 1901 and 1971.
“As our Caribbean regional is extremely susceptible to the effects of climate change, it follows that we must continue to strengthen our efforts in all aspects of disaster management, from preparedness, to response and recovery, [and] to mitigation.”
Co-founder and CEO of SuperWorld, Hrish Lotlikar, said that with the work his organization has done so far with several non-profit organizations all over the world in the areas of climate change and disaster support, this new venture with CDEMA was an obvious next step.
“Our goals is how we leverage these technologies to make the world a better place and make a better world,” Lotlikar said. “This was a very natural partnership for us. We are very excited about what we could all collectively partner to do, using NFTs to educate people around the world and allow them to get involved in the mission here.” (SB)
