Barbados and Preparation for Extreme Events W. Austin Greaves

Extreme Events In Barbados generally, extreme events take the form of :  Hurricanes  Floods  Fires  Droughts  Vectorborne diseases(dengue fever and leptospirosis)

Extreme Events With the adverse effects of climate change, the following extreme events are likely to occur:  Tsunamis  Earthquakes  Sea level rise  Saline intrusion of underground aquifers

Barbados Preparation for Extreme Events Department of Emergency Management – central agency responsible for development and implementation of a comprehensive disaster management programme.  Annual disaster simulations.  Training of personnel at all levels (telecommunication, shelter management, District Emergency Organization, volunteers)

Barbados Preparation for Extreme Events  Caribbean Building Code (CuBiC)  Town Planning Department  International Financial Fund  Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance  Facility (CCRIF)  Establishment of a local Disaster Fund (2007)

Barbados Preparation for Extreme Events  Establishment of a Drainage Division in 1995  Relocation of persons from flood prone areas  Hazard mapping  Establishment of Coastal Zone Management Unit (1996).

Barbados Preparation for Extreme Events Training and Development Unit for Barbados Fire Service  Strategic location of fire stations through the island  Establishment of a new fire station in 2001  Training of general public in fire safety (smoke alarms)  Integration of new and modern fire fighting equipment and technologies

Barbados Preparation for Extreme Events  Establishment of a desalination plant in 2000  Development of a drought management plan by the Barbados Water Authority  Legislation mandating that all new buildings must construct water tanks to capture rain water from their roofs

Barbados Preparation for Extreme Events  Establishment of a leptospira laboratory (1979), upgraded to test for dengue, hanta virus,etc.  Implementation of a Geographic Information System in the Environmental Health Department  Establishment of an Environmental Health Specialist Unit  Establishment of a Surveillance Unit in the Environmental Health Department

Barbados Preparation for Extreme Events  Establishment of a seismic monitoring station (2006) which is part of a region wide tsunami warning system  Station will detect earthquakes in the region and whether they can spawn tsunamis

Barbados Preparation for Extreme Events  Barbados is entirely dependant on underground water.  Monitoring by the Barbados Water Authority for saline intrusion into its underground aquifers  Tidal gauges deployed over the last 7 years by Coastal Zone Management Unit