Analysis of Disaster Risk Management Policy and Cross Sectorial and Territorial Contributions to their Implementation in Jamaica

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Analysis of Disaster Risk Management Policy and
Cross Sectorial and Territorial Contributions to
their Implementation in Jamaica
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction of
  the Americas
• Investing for Resilience
• Santiago de Chile
• 26-28 November 2012

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Introduction
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Vulnerability increasing due to increasing
  poverty, environmental degradation and the
  presence of unplanned settlements in
  environmentally sensitive areas
• Competing development priorities provides little
  opportunity for resource allocation into
  relocating people affected by past
  events/extremely vulnerable or provide
  alternative livelihoods exists
• The threat of climate change is not only
  geophysical put has profound implications for the
  economic sectors

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Key synergies
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT
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Policy Adjustments occurring
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Creation of the DRR/CCA Thematic Working Group
• Establishment of a Climate Change Department
• The Development and promulgation of the National
  Hazard Mitigation Policy/CDRM Policy and
  Strategy/CC Policy
• Policy harmonization, integration/synergies (CDRM
  Policy /CC Policy)
• Revision of Land Policy
• Revision of the Trade Policy

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Key Elements in integrating DRR in Public Policy
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Evidence based decision making
• Four major areas to improve the evidence based
  decision making for DRR
• Having a full appreciation for various moving
  parts in a disaster event
• Proper documentation of small scale and repeated
  disasters
• Consistency in reporting and documenting
  disasters events and losses
• Continued research and trend analysis needed

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Mainstreaming Comprehensive Disaster Risk
Management
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• We are currently using risk assessments to
  identify the extent of risks. They include data
  about hazards, exposure, vulnerability and
  capacity.
• Current work in two sectors Agriculture,
  tourism, work projected for education, housing,
  local authority

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Leadership and Governance
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• A strong champion both political and technical
  are very useful as drives in the process to
  initiate programmes.
• Established a crosscutting policy committee lead
  by a State Minister out of the Office of the
  Prime Minister and has past political leaders and
  industry leaders.
• Owning and driving the policy revision and
  development agenda

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Leadership and Governance
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Enhanced political commitment
• Strengthen Local level Capacities
• Enhanced Coordination.
• Strengthen Accountability

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NATIONAL EXPERIENCES
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• National Development Planning Vision 2030 and
  the thematic working group for Hazard Risk
  reduction.
• Hazard and vulnerability information integrated
  in the development approval process since year
  2000. Hazard vulnerability assessment are
  carried out on subdivision applications submitted
  for approval for residential and agricultural
  development.
• Hazard mitigation policy developed to be
  strengthened will the development of a
  comprehensive disaster risk management policy
  with a major focus on the linkages necessary for
  DRM coordination across sectors, ministries etc.
  

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National Experience
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• National Contingency Fund applications to the
  fund in the past has been used to support
  response. However, more recently the fund is
  also being used to strengthen mitigation and
  prevention programmes.
• Building successful partnerships over time our
  partnerships (local, civil society, community
  groups, benevolent societies international
  development partners USAID, CIDA IDB etc),
  have become more formalized. This is a as a
  result of various projects funded by our
  development partners that have strengthened
  programmes. Two examples BDRC, DRR Action
  Plan

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Gaps and Challenges for Effective Public Policy
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• The main challenge is to ensure that integrating
  hazard risk considerations is priority for
  sectorial policy enhancement given the critical
  importance of these policy frameworks to social
  and economic well being of the country.
• The pace at which the revision of the policy
  process occurs leads to questions of true
  importance.
• Mechanisms to support operationalization of the
  policy once developed

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Gaps and Challenges for Effective Public Policy
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Data and Assessment these are rarely shared
  because of the commercial value of their data and
  assessments
• Identifying priorities for intervention
• Marketing risk assessment as a key tool in policy
  formulation and decision making.
• Multi hazard mapping and vulnerability
  assessments is a critical cross cutting issue
  across all areas that affect disaster risk
  reduction and management. However, the lack of
  empirical evidence, technology, expertise, and
  time to create multi-hazard vulnerability maps
  and assessments is limited due to technical and
  resource constraints.

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Key Next Steps in Strengthening National DRM
Policy
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Enhance the knowledge platform for DRR
• Further partnerships with Universities to
  facilitate evidence based policy formulation
• In-depth investigation of disaster events so as
  to understand the root causes (Forensic
  Investigation of Disasters)
• Greater uses of Science and Technology to enhance
  understanding
• Development of National Risk Scenarios
• Data on the relationship between complex hazard
  scenarios, disasters and critical sector need to
  be collated, analyzed and disseminated.
• National Risk Scenarios developed and discussed
  towards rationalizing development priorities

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Key Next Steps in Strengthening National DRM
Policy
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Greater use of Cost benefit Analysis
• Determine costs and benefits of different options
  to reduce risk across sectors, local and national
  governance for diverse hazards.
• Importance of recognizing and supporting building
  resilient disaster communities. Need to support
  the communities in developing community disaster
  risk management programmes include projects that
  reach the most vulnerable.
• Strengthening Social Policy
• Revision of Development Orders

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Concluding Statement
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Governments to make very difficult choices and
  tradeoffs in respect of policy-making, which may
  involve, for example, a choice between
  undertaking and restricting coastal developments.
• Coping with limited Fiscal Space for DRR and
  Climate Change Adaptation Investment
• Radical changes required in order to be
  successful in preventing, mitigating, or adapting
  to threats to human, environmental, and social
  rights. That is Build Resilience against Climate
  Change and Hazard Impacts.

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Main Message
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Strong and Sustainable Partnerships between the
  National Level Actors, Local Government Actors,
  NGOs and our Communities within an enhanced
  policy framework will allow us to be resilient
  against all Hazards including the effects of
  Climate Change.
• TOGETHER WE CAN CROSS IT!!!!

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THANK YOU
OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMEREGENCY
MANAGEMENT

• Working towards National Resilience