Category: News

This third edition of the PROSE POST provides updates on technical assistance and PROSE engagements.  This issue also highlights my engagements with two civil society partner agencies in Barbados, and the various technical assistance activities which were undertaken under the period in collaboration with stakeholders across the public and private sectors and civil society. 

With the passage of Hurricane Beryl through the region in early July of this year, the PROSE team is hopeful that all our partners and stakeholders, and their respective families remain safe. This unprecedented early-season hurricane highlights the new climate realities faced by our Caribbean Small Islands Developing States (SIDS).

Within this context, PROSE aims to continue support towards the enhancing of resilience through policy and regulatory reform and the strengthening of legal frameworks among our many partners, which include regional entities, sectoral stakeholders, vulnerable groups and communities.  

We hope you enjoy this issue of the PROSE Post. 

Sincerely,

Marianela Guzman

PROSE Chief of Party

PROSE ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS

Public Sector Engagement:

Select on-going collaborations with the National Disaster Offices
include:

1. Update on Public Sector Technical Assistance. 
2. Technical Assistance Spotlight: Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Disaster Risk Management Bill Review Workshop. 
3. Stakeholder Engagement: Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships for Long-Term Resilience in Grenada. 
4. Technical Assistance Spotlight: Saint Kitts and Nevis Country Work Programme (CWP) Consultations.

Event: Suriname Disaster Risk Reduction Gap Analysis Workshop

Private Sector Engagement:

1. PROSE Engagement with the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC) and the Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association. 
2. Stakeholder Engagement Spotlight: Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association.   

Event: 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States

Civil Society Engagement

1. Update on ongoing civil society Technical Assistance.   
2. Technical Assistance Spotlight: Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) 

Event: Barbados Early Warning For All (EW4ALL) National Consultative Workshop 

PUBLIC SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS

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Technical Assistance Spotlight: CDC Disaster Risk Management Bill Review Workshop 

The CDC in Guyana received support from USAID PROSE to host a three-day Disaster Risk Management Bill Review Workshop. The workshop, which was conducted on 29-30 April and 2 May 2024 at the CDC’s Headquarters in Georgetown, aimed to enhance Guyana’s CDM legislation, providing a platform for key stakeholders to review the provisions of the 2019 Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Bill and its alignment with regional and international models. The workshop was attended by representatives from 15 institutions, including national and regional governmental ministries and agencies, private sector, and non-governmental institutions.

The Workshop Report highlights the outstanding issues to be addressed within the Bill and presents recommendations of the proposed next steps towards finalization, approval, and enactment of the Bill, guided by workshop deliberations. The CDC is now better positioned to execute the amendments, where in agreement, and to implement a clear plan of action towards strengthening, finalizing, and approving the Bill. 

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Stakeholder Engagement Spotlight: Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships for Long-Term Resilience in Grenada 

Engaging Public Sector Actors: PROSE is actively engaging with wider public sector actors to reduce risk and ensure their meaningful participation in Grenada’s climate-smart country work planning process. This collaborative approach is essential for creating a holistic and integrated disaster management framework that benefits all sectors in Grenada. 

The goals for this initiative include: 

• Strengthening Policy and Regulatory Frameworks: Enhancing the legal and regulatory environment to support comprehensive disaster management and business continuity planning.  
• Building Capacity: Providing training and resources to both the private and public sectors to improve disaster preparedness and response capabilities.  
• Fostering Collaboration: Encouraging ongoing collaboration between the private sector, public sector, and other stakeholders to create a resilient and sustainable environment for MSMEs. 

To achieve these objectives, PROSE has supported capacity training as well as facilitated policy workshops and dialogues between public and private sector stakeholders seeking to strengthen the resilience of businesses and communities so that they can thrive despite the challenges posed by disasters.

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Technical Assistance Spotlight: Saint Kitts and Nevis CWP Consultations

NEMA and the Nevis Disaster Management Department (NDMD) are receiving Technical Assistance through USAID/PROSE to support the development of an updated CWP for St. Kitts and Nevis. The CWP is a three (3) to five (5) year programmatically driven strategic plan towards CDM at a national level which organizes work and stakeholder coordination around each of the phases of the DRM Cycle. St. Kitts and Nevis’ previous CWP spanned the period of 2014-2019.  

To this end, two island-level stakeholder consultations were conducted in August to guide the prioritization of outcomes for inclusion in the updated CWP documentation. The stakeholder engagement workshops in St Kitts & Nevis were held in August with stakeholders including national and regional governmental ministries and agencies, private sector, and non-governmental institutions. The engagements were facilitated by PROSE Policy Advisor, Ms. Anita Wilson-Layne, and Stakeholder Engagement and Consultations Lead, Ms. Natasha Leader, who led the participants through a series of presentations and exercises to raise awareness of the CWP processes, to prioritize goals for CDM among priority agencies, and to garner agreement on outcomes towards national CDM implementation. 

Partners from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, Ms. Saskia Carusi – Deputy Chief and Dr. Jair Torres – Programme Manager, attended the session in St. Kitts. Ms. Carusi, in her delivery of remarks to the participants during the opening of the consultation, highlighted the need for collaborative actions among all stakeholders to build resilient communities and to safeguard lives. Ms. Guzman, PROSE Chief of Party (COP), lauded both disaster offices for their efforts in leading the coordination among national stakeholders to ensure that a holistic strategy is developed to guide the collaborative action to prevent, mitigate, and respond to new and emerging threats. Utilizing the outputs from the consultations, drafts of the CWP, Log Frame, and Performance Monitoring Framework would be developed for review and validation by the stakeholders. 

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EVENT

Suriname Disaster Risk Reduction Gap Analysis Workshop

In June 2024, PROSE team members Ms. Guzman and Mrs. Wilson-Layne attended the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Gap Analysis workshop in Suriname. PROSE Policy Advisor, Ms. Wilson-Layne, delivered a presentation during the workshop to apprise stakeholders on the PROSE activity, opportunities for collaboration, and the processes for requesting Technical Assistance through the PROSE Helpdesk.    

Involvement in the workshop allowed the PROSE team to understand the current gaps and challenges with regards to advancing policy and regulatory reform in Suriname as well as identify opportunities for collaboration.    Additionally, the workshop presented an opportunity for PROSE to strengthen the relationship with the National Coordination Center for Disaster Relief (NCCR) and key regional and international partners, including UNDRR and Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). It was a critical opportunity to ensure alignment among DRM actors, to provide space for maximization of resources through joint planning, assessment, and implementation.

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PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Recognizing the significance of private sector engagement in disaster management and resilience-building efforts, PROSE has been providing advisory support to Caribbean Chambers of Commerce (CARICHAM).  This support is aimed at integrating DRM and resilience within policy frameworks, ensuring that the private sector plays an active role in mitigating risks and enhancing resilience.  

Through structured surveys and interviews with Chamber offices across the region, insights were gathered into the awareness, utilization, challenges, and needs associated with mainstreaming CDM and identification of key technical support opportunities. To this end, PROSE is engaging with several private sector stakeholders to advance CDM in the region.   Currently, PROSE is collaborating with the DAIC to deliver a three-part capacity building and stakeholder consultation activity, further described below. 

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Technical Assistance Spotlight: Accelerating Private Sector Resilience Action Planning Under a Multi-Hazard and Risk Assessment Lens in Dominica

PROSE continues to collaborate closely with the DAIC to enhance disaster management frameworks with the goal of improving disaster preparedness and response through targeted activities which will focus on sessions with DAIC members. Through education, planning, and collaboration, this engagement seeks to reduce the risks and impacts of disasters on the private sector and encourage contingency planning. The Hazard Sensitization Workshop and National Campaign was held in May 2024. 

At the end of July, PROSE led a vulnerability assessment and round table to inform the development of the DAIC’s first resilience policy aimed at fostering ongoing collaboration between the private sector and government stakeholders. Following these engagements, the DAIC is committed to working closely with its members to advocate for continuous preparedness initiatives, including completing vulnerability assessments and updating company business continuity plans. The Chamber will also launch an internal campaign in partnership with government stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and maintain a vigilant stance on disaster readiness

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Stakeholder Engagement Spotlight: Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association

PROSE is actively collaborating with Chambers of Commerce offices alongside key stakeholders in the tourism sector to enhance DRR efforts while also working in tandem with the National Disaster Emergency Offices to ensure meaningful participation of these actors. This collaboration aims to reinforce existing policy development initiatives and sector-specific plans aligned with CDM frameworks.  

The PROSE Private Sector Lead, Ms. Natasha Yelloy-Labad, met with the Executive Vice President of the Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association, Ms. Ria Williams, to discuss business continuity planning (BCP) Capacity and upcoming Hazard Sensitization opportunities. This initial discussion aims to inform the Association of the need for private sector engagement and meaningful inclusion of tourism actors when discussing resilience and continuity of operation contingencies. The Association participated in the hazard sensitization sessions held in May to ensure the business leaders within the hotel and tourism space are equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to ensure continuity and resilience in the face of disasters.  

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EVENT

4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

During the 4th SIDs conference held in Antigua and Barbuda from 27-30 May 2024, the PROSE Project and the PROSE Helpdesk Technical Assistance request tool were introduced to relevant stakeholders.

In the framework of the event, the COP, Ms. Guzman, met with the Director of the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), Mr. Sherrod James, to discuss the Technical Assistance request, “Revision of the National Comprehensive Disaster Management Policy of Antigua and Barbuda.”

Ms. Guzman also met with the newly appointed UNDRR Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Kamal Kishore, where she introduced the USAID/PROSE Activity and shared the effectiveness of the work USAID/PROSE is undertaking, emphasizing the need for continued collaboration with the UNDRR regional office and other regional partners.

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CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

PROSE recognizes the valuable contribution of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in the region and is collaborating with organizations representing vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and indigenous peoples on CDM/Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) efforts and capacity building initiatives. Our work with the CSOs focuses on strengthening their participation in the development and enhancement of DRM/CCA policy and regulations, as well as their own operational resiliency. 

PROSE is supporting technical assistance initiatives to several civil society organizations which includes: 

• Caribbean Youth Environmental Network (CYEN): Incorporation of youth perspectives in CDM/CCA policies  
• The Cropper Foundation (TCF): National Community-Based Disaster Resilience Training and Development of Two Policy Support Tools 
• Grenada Community Development Agency (GRENCODA): Developing a guideline that mainstreams gender responsive CDM into operations 

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Technical Assistance Spotlight: CYEN

The CYEN is a regional non-profit organization with a diverse membership of youth groups and individuals across fifteen (15) Caribbean countries who have been working together to achieve sustainable development and empowerment of youth since 1993. The organization is currently a recipient of PROSE Technical Assistance to conduct a Regional Youth Survey and Policy Development Training to identify and mainstream youth perspectives, concerns, and priorities into CDM, DRM, and CCA policies and actions. 

PROSE recognizes that the sustained involvement of youth in CDM efforts is crucial and ensuring that their needs and contributions are integrated into CDM efforts is a vital element in empowering youth. This Technical Assistance will provide a foundation to advance inclusive and participatory CDM/CCA policy formulation among youth populations, including indigenous youth, those living in situations of poverty, and youth with disabilities.  Findings from the survey will be used to inform and develop a CDM/Climate Resilience youth training programme and policy brief which will serve as an advocacy tool, targeting policymakers at national and regional levels.

The Regional Youth Survey was disseminated in eleven (11) PROSE project countries for youth aged 18 – 35 years and will be followed by an online training. The training will be launched to coincide with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13th October, which is being observed this year under the theme: Empowering the Next Generation for a Resilient Future, focusing on providing age-appropriate education to youth to help them understand and act on the disaster risks they face.

CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Barbados EW4ALL National Consultative Workshop  

 

PROSE team members Ms. Guzman, COP, Ms. Catrina Hinds, Former Technical Coordinator, and Ms. Denise Tannis, Civil Society Advisor, attended the second National Consultative Technical Workshop for Validation of the Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) Implementation Plan for Barbados in 26-27 February 2024. The meeting was collaboratively hosted by the Barbados Department of Emergency Management (DEM), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), UNDRR, IFRC, and International Telecommunications Union. The workshop built upon the impetus created in November 2023, where local, national, and regional stakeholders assembled to discuss the advancement of MHEWS in Barbados. Meeting participants contributed to the development of Priorities for an Integrated DRR/CCA Strategy for Barbados

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The Policy and Regulatory Reform for Resilience (PROSE) Activity, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development Eastern and Southern Caribbean Mission (USAID/ESC), promotes the advancement of Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) and climate resilience in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean countries of Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. The implementing partner for the PROSE activity is The Cadmus Group, which is working in partnership with The University of the West Indies (UWI), and Adapt Consulting, and collaborating closely with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and other ESC stakeholders.

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As the first PROSE Post for the new year, I take this opportunity to wish our partners and
stakeholders a successful and productive 2024.

I am happy to share with our partners and stakeholders the exciting and transformational work
that is being undertaken by PROSE in 2024.

As we successfully engage with the public & private sectors and civil society, we will continue
engagement to strengthen their legal and regulatory frameworks centered around
comprehensive disaster management (CDM) and climate change adaptation (CCA). Furthermore, our work with other development organizations will be enhanced as we work collaboratively to
contribute to CDM and CCA sustainable initiatives in the region.

This second edition of the PROSE POST provides highlights of technical assistance activities to
date and outlines upcoming activities. PROSE team members attended a number of key
workshops and we have highlighted two in the events section. Capacity building activities are a
key component of the PROSE Activity. We are pleased to share highlights and some feedback
from Civil Society Organizations on the Policy Development Write Shop.

Activities are currently in progress involving key economic sectors, business continuity planning,
and gender and youth. This work centers on the enhancement of CDM/CCA policy, regulations,
and planning, with the end goal of strengthened regional, national, sectoral, business, and civic
resilience.

We look forward to further engaging with you in 2024.

Sincerely,

Marianela Guzman

PROSE Chief of Party

PROSE ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS

Public Sector Engagement:

Select on-going collaborations with the National Disaster Offices
include:

1. Saint Lucia: Review of the Disaster Management Act 2006
2. St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Update of the National CDM Strategy and
   Implementation Plan
3. Dominica: Review of CDM Legislation (Draft 2016)
4. St. Kitts & Nevis: Development of a New Country Work Program (CWP)

Event: Working group session with USAID, PROSE and CDEMA

Private Sector Engagement:

Strengthening Private Sector Digital Resilience to Disasters and Climate Change: Towards a Global Vision, Regional Collaboration, and Accelerated Action (Connected Caribbean Summit 2023)

Event: Barbados EW4ALL National Consultative Workshop

Civil Society Engagement

Select on-going collaborations with civil society organizations include:

1. Fundamental Principles for Writing Policies and Procedures Professional Development
   Workshop
2. Incorporating youth perspectives, concerns, and priorities, into CDM and CCA policies
   and actions with CYEN

PUBLIC SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS

The USAID PROSE Activity has been actively engaged with National Disaster Offices (NDOs) in providing technical support in Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) policies, legislations, and regulations. Through the help desk service, six (6) NDOs have commenced activities with PROSE’s support.

These strategic partnerships have played a crucial role in advancing PROSE objectives, particularly under Objective 1: Enhanced incorporation and implementation of CDM approaches within policy, legal, or regulatory frameworks for CDM. By collaborating closely with disaster offices, we have been able to make significant strides in strengthening CDM and CCA policies. Select on going collaborations with the NDOs include:

• Saint Lucia: Review of the Disaster Management Act 2006
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Update of the National CDM Strategy and Implementation Plan
• Dominica: Review and Update of CDM Legislation (Draft 2016)
• St Kitts & Nevis: Development of a New Country Work Program (CWP)

PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Collaborative efforts by PROSE and the Executive Board of CARICHAM have been focused on analyzing potential opportunities to bolster CDM/CCA initiatives. A pivotal outcome of the collaboration was the successful engagement and facilitation at the Connected Caribbean Summit.

In December 2023, PROSE provided technical assistance to the CARICHAM Network during the Connected Caribbean Summit 2023. Ms. Darlene Irby, Vice President, International Development Division and Cadmus Digital expert, delivered the opening remarks at the commencement of the summit, and addressed the audience on the pivotal role of policy, shedding light on the work of the PROSE Activity. She participated in the panel discussion “Deconstructing Digital Business” during the first-day plenary session at the kick-off of the Summit. Ms. Natasha Yeeloy Labad, PROSE Private Sector Advisor, moderated key sessions, including “Partners in Action,” emphasizing regional collaboration for climate, disaster, and digital resilience. A key output of the summit for PROSE is a draft action plan on business resilience specifically tailored for CARICHAM.

Additional information can be viewed at the Connect Caribbean Summit 2023 website.

CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

PROSE recognizes the valuable contribution of civil society organizations in the region and is collaborating with organizations representing vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and indigenous peoples on CDM/CCA efforts and capacity building initiatives. Our work with the civil society organizations focuses on strengthening their participation in the development and enhancement of DRM/CCA policy and regulations, as well as their own operational resiliency.

In October, PROSE facilitated the attendance of a second cohort of participants at The UWI School of Graduate Studies and Research (The UWI SGSR) online Fundamental Principles for Writing Policies and Procedures Professional Development Workshop. The workshop provided a foundation that advanced participants’ knowledge and skills regarding the necessary structural and textual components of a policy document and guided them through the policy writing process. A total of 18 participants attended the training representing civil society organizations, the public, and private sectors. Civil society organization participants shared the following feedback on their experiences in the workshop.

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Moving into early 2024, the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) and PROSE are collaborating on work focused on incorporating youth perspectives, concerns, and priorities, into CDM and CCA policies and actions, utilizing a three-phased approach:

1. A Regional Youth Survey (for youth aged 18 –35 years)
2. A CDM/CCA Training; and
3. A Policy Brief

As we begin Phase 1, we encourage you to monitor social media and the PROSE website for the launch of the regional survey to share among your youth network

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

Caribbean Disaster Management Agency’s (CDEMA) Technical Advisory Committee
Meeting:

The PROSE team is excited to participate as observers at the upcoming Technical Advisory Committee Meeting (TAC) hosted by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) from April 15th to 19th, 2024, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Through knowledge sharing and collaboration, we aim to support CDEMA’s mission of building a resilient Caribbean, working towards a safer and more resilient future for all in the face of disasters and climate challenges. We look forward to seeing
many of you there! Additional information on CDEMA can be found here.

Greetings! The USAID PROSE (Policy and Regulatory Reform for Resilience) Activity is now in its second year of implementation. On behalf of the entire PROSE Team, including key partner, The University of the West Indies, I would like to thank the numerous public and private sector organizations throughout the Eastern and Southern Caribbean that have honored us with their collaboration over this past year.

This inaugural edition of the PROSE POST provides highlights of the past year’s technical activities and outlines upcoming activities. Our commitment to continued engagement with national governments continues as they focus on strengthening their legal and regulatory frameworks centered around comprehensive disaster management (CDM) and climate change adaptation (CCA). Additionally, our work with both civil society organizations and private sector groups will continue to expand, with work underway involving key economic sectors, business contingency planning, and gender and youth. This work focuses on the enhancement of CDM/CCA policy, regulations, and planning, with the end goal of strengthened regional, national, sectoral, business, and civic resiliency.

We look forward to engaging further with you over the next year.

Sincerely,

Marianela Guzman

PROSE Chief of Party

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Technical Requests

Through the first year of our project, PROSE received over 60 technical requests, primarily coming from the public sector. The majority of these requests involved the creation or updating of policy or regulations pertaining to CDM and/or CCA.

Public Sector Engagement:

Understanding that a strong and comprehensive legal framework is foundational to a nation’s risk reduction, preparedness, and resilient recovery, PROSE supports National Emergency Management Organizations (NEMOs) throughout the region in their incorporation of CDM/CCA aspects into their policies, laws, and regulations. Select on-going collaborations with the NEMOs include:

• Saint Lucia: Review of the Disaster Management Act 2006
• St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Update of the National CDM Strategy and Implementation Plan
• Dominica: Review and Update of CDM Legislation (Draft 2016)
• Regional: Workshop on Principles for Writing and Implementing Policies and Procedures to Support CDM

Sectoral Work:

Year 2 of PROSE will include the integration of CDM/CCA into sectoral regulations or plans. This work includes identifying both sector-specific gaps that may be addressed by PROSE technical support, as well as opportunities to highlight sectoral best practices and roll them out in the region. PROSE plans to focus on the following sectors: agriculture, natural resources, tourism, and water. A SWOT assessment (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) of the agriculture and tourism sectors was recently initiated, with technical activities for these two sectors anticipated to begin in the October/November timeframe.

Private Sector Engagement:

Recognizing the private sector’s critical role in reducing the social, economic, and environmental risks of disaster and impacts of climate change, PROSE is working with private sector actors as sector associations and chambers of commerce to build skills in business planning, resiliency, and adaptation. In addition, PROSE is currently engaged with CARICHAM to identify CDM/CCA-related regional opportunities and targeted technical support for select country chambers. It is anticipated that some of this private sector work will focus on assisting chamber members in the application of business resiliency-focused toolkits and guidelines created by UNDRR as part of its ARISE Network and found on CARICHAM’s recently launched Centre of Excellence website.

Civil Society Strengthening

In year 2, PROSE will collaborate with select civil society organizations (CSOs) in the region, including those representing vulnerable groups, as well as sector-support organizations. Our work with CSOs will focus on strengthening their participation in the development and enhancement of DRM/CCA policy and regulations, as well as their own operational resiliency. PROSE is currently assessing numerous CSOs and identifying appropriate technical opportunities to support in the coming months.

Regional Collaboration

The PROSE Team takes great efforts to build relationships with stakeholders across the region in order to identify leverage resources and technical synergies that lead to deeper more impactful results and acknowledges the leadership of key regional organizations such as CDEMA and the important key role played by the donor community pertaining to regional resiliency. As part of our networking, PROSE has participated in several CDM/CCA regional workshops including CDEMA’s 14th Meeting of its Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) hosted its 14^thannual Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting in Paramaribo, Suriname from April 17-21, 2023. As part of this event, USAID PROSE supported a capacity building session on the Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Blueprint which included discussion on barriers to and opportunities for the advancement of the CDM agenda. National Disaster Coordinators took part in peer-to-peer exchanges to develop recommendations for addressing hindrances and leveraging opportunities for the advancement of regional policy and regulatory frameworks within the Caribbean. 

PROSE was represented at the meeting by Ms. Marianela Guzman, Barbados Chief of Party, and Mr. Brendon Taylor, Technical Advisor. In her opening remarks, Ms. Guzman committed support to CDEMA and the regional disaster management system, noting the impact of global hazard events and the need to strengthen legal environments pertaining to multi-hazards. The participants we charged to ‘’not forget the year 2021 in the region which featured a biological pandemic, volcanic eruption, significant flooding in Guyana and Suriname, a major earthquake in Haiti, and the passage tropical cyclones.”

Additionally, Mr. Taylor shared a presentation of PROSE, giving an overview of the project, targeted areas for intervention, the suite of technical services offered, and an orientation to the PROSE Helpdesk mechanism.

The VIII Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean was held in Punta del Este (RP23), Uruguay, from February 28 to March 2, 2023, under the theme “Science and Technology for Integrated Disaster Risk Management”. PROSE personnel attended this biennial event that brought together governments, private sector, civil society, scientific-technological communities, youth groups, and donors to exchange experiences and facilitate decisions on the Regional Action Plan (RAP) for the implementation of the Sendai Framework in the Americas and the Caribbean. The Sendai Framework focuses on the adoption of measures which address disaster risk management and increase resiliency.  

Key Conference takeaways include: 

• The need for an improved Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) policy evaluation and development framework to ensure that policy is supported by scientific evidence & a conceptual framework of disaster risk reduction, addresses systemic risk as a multi-disciplinary approach; incorporates input from vulnerable groups; and has been accepted both by decision-makers and more importantly by local communities. 
• CDM legislation must include Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems governance, including protocols for communications and technologies.  
• CDM data availability and accessibility is limited. Data systems need enhancement and policies related to data collection and usage need to be developed.   
• Policies and regulatory changes that encourage financial institutions and banks to align their strategies, operations, and activities with the Sendai Framework are needed. 
• Local, national, and regional disaster risk reduction policies need to be more holistic and include the analysis, understanding, and prevention of extreme climate impacts and the resultant disaster-induced human mobility. 

• There should be greater involvement of the private sector in the planning for systemic risk, including the promotion of public-private initiatives that establish CDM and climate adaptation standards and regulations and support development of private sector risk management and business continuity plans. 

PROSE personnel attended a regional event hosted in Grenada on November 21-23, 2022, that focused on multi-hazard early warning system governance, with emphasis on engagement between regional Chambers of Industry and Commerce, regional and national disaster risk management offices, and meteorological agencies in the Caribbean. The event was jointly organized by CARICHAM and UNDRR and attended by organizations such as Caribbean Development Bank, the World Bank, Climate Risk Early Warning Systems and other regional disaster management and meteorological professionals.  

During the event, PROSE Chief of Party Marianela Guzman promoted the PROSE project, including to leaders from the Association of the Caribbean States and to the Executive Directors for the Chambers of Commerce from Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Discussions were also held with other stakeholders in the region, such as UNDRR and CARICHAM, to identify areas for collaboration, including PROSE’s engagement with CARICHAM’s Center for Excellence and with UNDRR’s work on the implementation of the CDM Blueprint implementation.