GOVERNMENT agencies, the Private Sector Commission and international developmental partners were recently briefed on the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Disaster Risk Indicators and Flood Risk Evaluation Methodology. This workshop took place at the Civil Defence Commission  (CDC) headquarters on Thomas Lands, Georgetown on Tuesday, 30 November, 2010.
A release from the CDC said it formed part of the joint initiative between the Government of Guyana and the IDB titled “Design and Implement an Integrated Disaster Risk Management Plan.”
It is a project that seeks to strengthen the Disaster Risk Management system of the country.        
The consultants, of the indicators, Evalucion de Riesgos Naturales, took participants through a one-day session on the application of the tools highlighting their roles in the process.
The indicators take into account issues such as potential damage and losses resulting from extreme events; recurrent disasters or losses; social and environmental conditions that make countries more disaster prone; the capacity of the economy to recover; the operation of key services; institutional capacity and the effectiveness of basic disaster risk management instruments that include prevention and mitigation.
At the end of the process which is expected to take twelve months, the Government of Guyana is expected to receive these indicators that will assist policymakers in identifying investment priority areas to reduce risk, and direct post disaster recovery process.
The indicators will also assist in identifying national risk management capacities; and promote the exchange of technical information for public policy formulation.
Further outcomes of this will be the development of a risk database and hazard maps that will greatly assist in financial and sectoral planning.