HORIZON: What you have just outlined represents an impressive suite of activity for CARICAD with regard to ongoing work and work that has been recently accomplished. What gives you the greatest satisfaction at this point as you look back at that suite of activities? ROWE: I think repositioning CARICAD has been the key outcome, and setting the pace for going forward. I think nowadays when you say “CARICAD” there are persons who have heard the name in recent times and have placed it in a positive light. CARICAD participated with CDEMA at their conference in the Bahamas and in addition CARICAD was represented in Jamaica at a Public Private Partnership (PPP) conference and these are simple indicators of how more recognised we have become. Notwithstanding all that I have said, CARICAD continues to offer the quality of work that it has always offered in several of our member states and we expect to expand that listing next year. sector. We are far down the road in composing easy to read, user-friendly type information that will be beneficial to all. In addition, we have just completed the first draft of a hurricane recovery information booklet for the non-disaster manager which I believe will be well received. Finally, we are about to co-brand with an international firm on hurricane reconstruction efforts. Stay tuned as you will see more from CARICAD in this regard in the near future. HORIZON: There may be those who may “CARICAD is in the business of public sector transformation and we see addressing Disaster Management as a key contributor to ensuring Resilience, not just in terms of the infrastructure, but ensuring that we have resilient public organisations that will meet the HORIZON: With regard to member states, during the 2017 hurricane season a large number of CARICAD’s member states were affected by two very significant hurricanes – Irma and Maria. Can you give us a sense firstly of CARICAD’s concerns for what would have happened in those countries and after that the implications, if any, for CARICAD in terms of its work. ROWE: Firstly, our hearts go out to all of the persons in those territories that were affected by the hurricanes. I recognise the efforts that they are making at reconstruction; early yet, but reconstruction and recovery is beginning in several of our member states. We have begun work to develop some recovery guidelines for the public 2 challenge in the near future, if not right away.” suggest that the region already has CDEMA and ask why would CARICAD have a role to play in disaster recovery planning if CDEMA already exists. CARICAD’s mandate is to focus on the public sector in its broadest sense, so how would you explain to those who might question whether CARICAD has a role as to why it is that CARICAD has been doing the work you just described in relation to Recovery since the passage of the major hurricanes? ROWE: First of all, addressing disaster management is a transformational activity. In terms of the adaptation, and mitigation it requires new structures, new arrangements, new organisations. Our work is not to replace CDEMA, it is to support the work that CDEMA is doing. As CDEMA focuses on the disaster management side, we will be focusing on the organisational capacity development side to ensure that we build organisations that are competent to deliver on the impact of climate change. CARICAD is in the business of public sector transformation and we see addressing Disaster Management as a key contributor to ensuring Resilience, not just in terms of the infrastructure, but ensuring that we have resilient public organisations that will meet the challenge in the near future, if not right away. Continues on Page 3
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