THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in collaboration with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), began a consultative workshop yesterday on the design of a National Integrated Disaster Risk Management Plan and Implementation Strategy for Guyana.

The two-day forum, at the CDC premises in Thomas Lands, Georgetown, involves representatives of various governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including Digicel Guyana, Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO), Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Ministries of Agriculture and Human Services and Social Security.
Speaking at the opening, CDC Director General, Colonel (ret’d) Chabilall Ramsarup explained that the undertaking has three components and the first – flood risk evaluation has already been completed.
He informed that the report from this forum, which is the second component, is expected by the end of March 2013.
“Hopefully we’ll have this plan tested sometime in 2013,” Ramrasup added.
He pointed out that, in disasters, it is the developing countries that suffer the most, as the developed ones have more money to spend on preparation and planning and, most of all in the response and recovery stages.
Ramsarup said another factor is continuity – “how quick we can get back on our feet.”
“The CDC and its important partners who are present in this room, here today, have worked, especially over the past four years, to make great strides in all cases of disaster risk management in Guyana. We have moved comprehensive disaster risk management to a whole new level in Guyana,” he asserted.
IDB consultant, Mr. Evan Green outlined the objectives of the forum, one being to familiarise all participants with the cause, effects, consequences and disaster risk management activities related to floods in Guyana, in order to ensure the Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRM) and that the strategy, realistically, responds to the needs within the Guyana context.
He added that the expected outcomes of their deliberations include the familiarisation of the participants with IDRM concepts and the agreement on actions for risk identification, prevention mitigation, financial risk management, preparedness and response and recovery that will be part of the strategy.