jamarchThe Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management’s (ODPEM) efforts at building disaster resilient communities will be supported with a $31.3 million provision in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure currently before the House of Representatives.
The three-year project, which commenced in July 2008, is intended to improve disaster management communication and planning systems at the national, parish and community levels.
It will also: develop emergency response and disaster management plans for selected communities; strengthen national, parish and community disaster response capacity; enhance increased stakeholder ownership through active participation in the process, from hazard identification to the development of mitigation plans; and develop a culture of disaster preparedness and increased civic action in disaster mitigation.
It is anticipated that this year the project, which is jointly funded by the Jamaican Government and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), will undertake, among other things: assessments being conducted on past and potential damage to specific locations; continued training and organization of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT); and execution of public education activities.
Media Writer
