CDEMA, IOM sign MOU to improve disaster preparedness

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) geared at bolstering the region’s disaster preparedness.

Executive Director of CDEMA Elizabeth Riley said the agreement will benefit all CDEMA participating member states.

She said the two bodies, which had built a relationship under the Regional Response Mechanism, will collaborate through knowledge management, strengthening capacity to support vulnerable migrants at risk of disasters, and strengthening technical capacities and the use of human mobility data to inform decision making.

During the brief signing ceremony which took place during the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and IOM workshop at the Radisson Aquatica Resort on Thursday, Riley said hazards had become prevalent in the region in recent years, and with projections pointing to more drastic weather events, the Caribbean must be prepared.

“Hazards are occurring with an increasing level of complexity and intensity. Climate change is in motion and it is gaining momentum; all climate parameters in the region are changing and climate change is a critical factor driving human mobility in CDEMA participating states,” she said.

“Weather related to sea level rise which is expected to reach or exceed one metre by the end of the century, air and sea surface temperatures which are trending upwards, and global climate models suggest that the region may be up to 17 per cent drier by the end of the century. The reality is that climate change is already increasing the displacement of populations in our states,” cautioned Riley. (SB)