Bahamas

Authored by: Llonella Gilbert

NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Acting Prime Minister the Hon. K. Peter Turnquest said there are encouraging signs that the farming and fishing industries are on the comeback after passage of Hurricanes Joaquin, Matthew, Irma and Maria across the southern and northern islands of The Bahamas left extensive damage to the farmland and marine resources of those communities.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Apr 12 2018 (IPS) - The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) also known as the 5Cs, is looking for ways to boost the region’s access to the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

The Centre is on the hunt for proposals from the private and public sector organisations around the region that want to work with the Centre to develop their ideas into successful projects that are in line with their country’s national priorities to build resilience to climate change.

OVERVIEW

• Countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region experience a range of natural hazards, including droughts, earthquakes, floods, forest fires, hurricanes, landslides, tsunamis, and volcanoes. El Niño and La Niña phenomena occur periodically, exacerbating the impacts of hydrometeorological events in the LAC region. Unplanned urban expansion, environmental and natural resource degradation, and land-use management challenges also increase populations’ vulnerability and exposure to natural hazards.

In brief

Several countries have disaster risk management plans, which need to be taken into consideration in the process to formulate and implement NAPs.

• Many Caribbean countries have already mainstreamed adaptation into national development plans and climate change policies

• Robust institutional arrangements provide an enabling environment for advancing adaptation planning.

Contributing to more effective risk management of crises and disaster in Latin America and the Caribbean

INTRODUCTION

The 2018 version of the Index for Risk Management for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC-INFORM) has been launched at the beginning of this year. LAC-INFORM 2018 is an update of LAC-INFORM 2017, the first version of this regional index.

Authored by: Sydnei L. Isaacs Source:
Bahamas Information Services Date:
March 25, 2018

NASSAU, The Bahamas— The Minister of the Environment and Housing, the Hon. Romauld Ferreira said “Energy has become a part of our lives that is a necessity…. We have some of the highest energy rates in the region, if not the world” at the BCCEC’s (Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation) Bahamas Energy Security Forum under the theme, 'Smart is the New Sexy' on Friday, March 23, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Island House.

Executive Summary

NASSAU, The Bahamas - The Bahamas, through the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, participated in a regional simulation Tsunami Readiness Exercise “CaribeWave 18” on Thursday, March 15.

The Tsunami exercise is conducted yearly in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands under the direction of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) in Hawaii.

HURRICANE RELIEF – Some 125 cheques for hurricane repairs were issued on Friday, March 2, by the Ministry of Works and NEMA to those residents who had submitted the required paperwork proving ownership and damages done during Hurricane Matthew. People from each constituency were given a maximum of $4,000 to begin their repairs. Residents were advised that they could not issue the vouchers to anyone but the homeowners, and if they could not appear in person, personnel should go to them. Shown are: Dorie Cooper of NEMA and Adrianna Rolle of the Ministry of Works assisting a resident.

The PAHO/WHO Country Office for Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands donated computers and communication equipment to the Ministry of health.

The PAHO/WHO Country Office for Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands donated computers and communication equipment to the Ministry of health, The Bahamas, to strengthen its emergency response operational capacity of the Ministry of Health. Additionally, a small contribution was made towards the repair of a Community clinic in Ragged Island that was damaged by Hurricane Irma.

Key findings

• UN agencies, NGOs, and government employees sharing the same workspace helped collaboration and information sharing.

• Sector-specific and cross-sector coordination meetings allowed agencies and government actors to share information that reduced delays and increased collaboration between actors.

• The lack of reliable baseline data greatly hampered efforts and delayed carrying out assessments and distributions properly during the response.

Countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region are highly vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, including droughts, earthquakes, forest fires, floods, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions. Between FY 2008 and FY 2017, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/ OFDA) and USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/ FFP) provided humanitarian assistance in response to a diverse range of emergencies in the region.

The steering committee established to spearhead the recovery process of countries hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, in September of 2017, have been moving ahead in the venture, information coming out from the CARICOM Secretariat stated.

Following the successful staging of the CARICOM-UN High-Level Pledging Conference at UN Headquarters in New York on November 21, 2017, the Steering Committee has continued to meet with a renewed focus on translating pledges into concrete programmes and initiatives.

Contenido

• Enfoque 2

• Perspectiva 4

• Países Miembros 5

• Recursos de Información 11

• Próximos Eventos 12

Huracanes Irma y María:

Hurricanes Irma and Maria: health sector response

In the space of one month, several nations of the Caribbean were ravaged by two category 5 hurricanes packing winds of up to 160 mph (260 km/h). Hurricane Irma passed through 11 islands in the Caribbean starting on 5 September 2017, followed a week later by Hurricane Maria, which impacted six islands, including three in Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, that had already been hit by Irma. The total population of the islands is 37.2 million people.

París — El Grupo Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) anunció su apoyo a la recién creada Coalición Climáticamente Inteligente del Caribe, una iniciativa público-privada que busca financiar un plan de inversión de US$8 mil millones para transformar la región en una de las primeras zonas “climáticamente inteligentes” del mundo y beneficiar a aproximadamente 3.2 millones de hogares.

NASSAU, The Bahamas – Captain Stephen Russell, Director of the National Emergency Management Agency, accepted a cheque for $3,600 from Alberto G. Suighi, Honorary Consul General for Italy, towards hurricane relief efforts. Also present was Chanelle Brown, Head, Economic Trade and Sustainable Development Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The donation was presented on behalf of the Italian Community in The Bahamas and is the total proceeds of the Italian booth at the International Cultural Wine and Food Festival held October 17-18, 2017 at the Botanical Gardens.

Fuentes de la Cancillería comentaron a la prensa que la delegación de la Mayor de las Antillas hará patente su voluntad de promover la integración, la cooperación y el desarrollo