Workshop hosted to advance national disaster risk management work programme- Over 35 representatives from government agencies benefitted

Aug 31, 2018 News

Over 35 representatives of government agencies have completed a three-day workshop aimed at advancing the development of the country’s five-year Country Work Programme (CWP) 2019-2024 for disaster risk reduction and comprehensive disaster management.
The event ran from August 28-30.
The workshop hosted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) is a collaborative effort among the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
Facilitator of the CDEMA, Cheryl Nichols told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the goal is to have Guyana become a safer and more resilient nation through comprehensive disaster management over the next five years.
Emphasis is being placed on strengthening institutional arrangements, public awareness and knowledge enhancement.
Nichols expressed optimism that stakeholders will establish the multi-agency relationship necessary to ensure that the country moves in the right direction in an effort to minimise the impacts of natural disasters on Guyana.
She added that, “we looked at the impact for the next five years and we have established some outcomes and activities associated with these, all geared towards achieving a safe resilient Guyana with of course, comprehensive disaster management being the guiding post.”
Beverly Ply, representative, National Commission on Disability (NDC) said the workshop was an eye-opener for her. “I realised that every policy document within the [various] sectors should look at the issue of disaster risk management since it is everybody’s business and we have the right to understand what it is all about,” she noted.
Michael Welch, a representative from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) said that “there are a number of challenges we will face but the more organised we are, the better will be our position to respond to those challenges hence the need for this workshop that speaks to disaster risk reduction and comprehensive disaster management.”
Chetwynd Osborne, from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), said his participation at the workshop has been fruitful and allowed him to fully understand the extent of the country’s vision regarding its CWP. It was noted that the CWP workshops are based on an analysis of gaps in the country’s CDM audits and guide efforts towards enhancing disaster risk management in line with the regional and global agendas, as defined through the Caribbean Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Strategy 2014-2024 and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
Representatives of the Ministry of Public Health, Guyana Fire Service (GFS), Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Department of Environment (DOE) were also in attendance.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News