The Campaign features five (5) days of tsunami and other coastal hazards related awareness and education activities for a wide ranging target audience comprising the media, general public, key members of the national disaster management system, specific government ministries and associations, coastal businesses, and teachers.
In light of the need for enhanced earthquake awareness following the Haiti Earthquake on January 12, 2010, earthquake-related initiatives have also been infused within the week-long activities.
In collaboration with the NODS, the national campaign is being led by a diverse team of scientists as well as public communication and education specialists from the Seismic Research Centre (University of the West Indies, St. Augustine), who are providing technical services for the Project. The activities are also being supported through the participation of a regional consultant from the Risk Management Training and Technical Assistance Program, Office of United States Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).
CDEMA’s Executive Director, Jeremy Collymore has highlighted the TCHWS Project “as a critical part of the regional agenda to address all hazards, through the engagement of a diversity of stakeholders and partners”.
Director of the Seismic Research Centre, Dr. Richard Robertson commented that the Centre was pleased to be collaborating with CDEMA on the TCHWS Project noting that the involvement of the SRC also meant that the information will be scientifically sound.
Antigua and Barbuda’s campaign is one of four (4) such initiatives being embarked on throughout the region aimed at preparing CDEMA Participating States to respond to tsunamis and other coastal threats.
This week’s activities follow on from the Two-Day Regional Workshop convened October 28 – 29, 2009 in Trinidad and Tobago and the Technical Sub-Committee Meeting held on November 25, 2009 in Barbados, which brought together regional and international education and communication specialists, national disaster management professionals, and scientists to facilitate the introduction, review and enhancement of draft public awareness and teacher education products to be used throughout the regional campaigns. Public awareness activities for tsunamis were also conducted in collaboration with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) Jamaica, during their Annual Earthquake Week, January 09 – 15, 2010.
The remaining public awareness and education campaigns will also be facilitated by the SRC, and are being organised in association with the National Disaster Offices within the other Pilot States of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. These campaigns will be rolled out in late February and early March 2010 respectively.
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Information Note:
The Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System (TCHWS) Project began in 2007 and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the tune of US$475,000. This project supports the development of a comprehensive tsunami and other coastal hazards warning system for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions currently being coordinated by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE). The project will end in March 2010.
The CDEMA Participating States include Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks & Caicos.