8 June, 2012 -- Bridgetown, Barbados, (CDEMA) - The member states of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) now have a model flood risk reduction system which can contribute to protecting the lives and property of people at the community level. The system has been developed under the Caribbean Disaster Management Project Phase 2 (CADM2).

In Saint Lucia CADM II was implemented with the Gros Islet Disaster Committee in Corinth.

Saint Lucia recently attended the final series of meetings in Barbados and was represented by Ms. Jennifer Auguste of the Gros Islet Disaster Committee and Mr.
Fitzgerald John of the Water Resources Management Agency.

The CADM2 was implemented from January 2009 to June 2012 by the CDEMA Coordinating Unit (CU), in collaboration with the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), the University of the West Indies, the University of Guyana and the respective government of the Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana and Saint Lucia in which pilot projects were undertaken.
Financial and technical support for implementation was provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Phase one the project (2002-2004) introduced a community-based flood disaster risk reduction model by the integrating of community-based disaster management planning, flood early warning system and flood hazard mapping. This community–based disaster risk reduction model has been further developed by CADM2 and to date has been implemented in five communities of the pilot states.

Stakeholders reviewed the project results at a seminar on June 5, 2012 and during the Joint Coordination Committee meeting on June 6, 2012. Both meetings took place at the Barbados Hilton Hotel. This was followed by the signing and handing over of the report to the CDEMA Coordinating Unit on Thursday, June 7, at the CDEMA headquarters in Manor Lodge, Barbados.

Saint Lucia, the Community of Corinth with the CDEMA system expresses its appreciation to the Government and People of Japan and JICA for assisting the Caribbean Community to establish the flood disaster risk reduction system and encourages the CDEMA member states to extend the new system in partnership with development partners, including private and civil sectors.

For interviews you may contact
Ms. Jennifer Auguste - 285 3359
Mr. Fitzgerald John - 286 7524