15 Storm damage in the Grenadines. (Photo by Gregory King) • Continued from previous page This article serves to emphasise the importance of the Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) approach promulgated and championed in our region by CDEMA. In that regard, we leave readers a few points for reflection and discussion. • Put Contingency Plans in place that underscore the need for flexibility, adaptability, and creativity especially in the Response phase to hurricane impacts. Emphasise the need for redundancy within critical systems, and for indispensable equipment especially communications and information technology • Emphasise Transformational Leadership with emotionally intelligent, empathetic management in capacity building efforts. Place teamwork, cooperation and coordination in their full context • Arrange more comprehensive and detailed physical planning (urban and rural) – maintain greater setbacks for critical infrastructure on coastlines • Expand coastal protection mechanisms • Retrofit all health-care facilities to make them more hurricane resistant • Focus on standards, flexibility and adaptability for public buildings • Be more vigilant with regard to planning for the locations for emergency shelters • Design and construct affordable and hurricane resistant homes • Use Cloud Technology as storage for important documents • Retrofit homes with hurricane straps and hurricane shutters • Train young people and children in survival skills for hurricane conditions • Make improved arrangements for care of the aged and the differently abled for protection under hurricane conditions • Invest in more training and facilities for community-based disaster management voluntary organisations The people of the Caribbean have learnt many lessons about preparing for hurricanes, but CARICAD would like to see many of those lessons converted into plans and capacity building for greater resilience at the individual, family, community, organisational and national levels.
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