1. COORDINATOR, IICA CARIBEAN REGIONAL AGENDA
CURRENT SITUATION
AND OUTLOOK
FOR AGRICULTURAL RISK
MANAGEMENT
IN THE CARIBBEAN
Dr. VINCENT LITTLE
COORDINATOR, IICA CARIBEAN REGIONAL AGENDA
. . . countries had very little autonomy in policy and decision making and generally ‘responded’ to the dictates of the importing company – not the market!
. . . countries generally ‘responded’ to the changing market (falling prices, changing market demands, impending agricultural trade liberalisation) and the need to generate foreign exchange earnings from agriculture emphasizing horizontal, i.e., expanding the basket of commodities produced, rather than vertical, through production of more value-added;

2. CONTENT OF THE PRESENTATION
BACKGROUND
CURRENT SITUATION
INTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES
OUTLOOK
. . . countries had very little autonomy in policy and decision making and generally ‘responded’ to the dictates of the importing company – not the market!
. . . countries generally ‘responded’ to the changing market (falling prices, changing market demands, impending agricultural trade liberalisation) and the need to generate foreign exchange earnings from agriculture emphasizing horizontal, i.e., expanding the basket of commodities produced, rather than vertical, through production of more value-added;

3. NATURAL AND MAN-MADE SOURCES OF RISK
BACKGROUND
NATURAL AND MAN-MADE SOURCES OF RISK
REGION AMONG THE TOP 10 IN DISASTER PRONENESS INDEX
FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC COSTS of DISASTERS ARE HIGH AND ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE
. . . countries had very little autonomy in policy and decision making and generally ‘responded’ to the dictates of the importing company – not the market!
. . . countries generally ‘responded’ to the changing market (falling prices, changing market demands, impending agricultural trade liberalisation) and the need to generate foreign exchange earnings from agriculture emphasizing horizontal, i.e., expanding the basket of commodities produced, rather than vertical, through production of more value-added;

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REGION:
SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES (SIDS) AND LOW LYING COASTAL STATES (LLCS)
MORE THAN 68% OF LOSSES ARE TO THE SOCIAL AND PRODUCTIVE SECTOR
60% OF THE POPULATION RESIDES IN THE COASTAL ZONE
70% OF ALL ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES TAKES PLACE WITHIN 2 MILES OF THE COASTLINE

5. ESTIMATES OF IMPACT OF DISASTER EVENTS ON GDP
YEAR
PLACE
DISASTER
IMPACT
1988
JAMAICA
GILBERT
65% OF GDP
1989
5 COUNTRIES
HUGO
US $412 MILLION
1999
DOMINICA
LENNY
53% OF GDP
2004
HAITI AND DR
FLOODING
270 DEATHS
GRENADA
IVAN
US $ 895 MILLION
US $ 592 MILLION
2005
GUYANA
60% OF GDP

6. DAMAGE DONE TO AGRICULTURAL SECTORIN SOME COUNTRIES BY SELECTED DISASTERS
COUNTRY
DISASTER
ESTIMATED VALUE
DOMINICA
LUIS AND MARILYN (1995)
US $12 million
GRENADA
IVAN (2004)
US $36.6 million
GUYANA
FLOODS (2005)
FLOODS (2006)
US $54.5 million
US $22.5 million
JAMAICA
GILBERT (1988)
JA $1.66 billion
ST. KITTS/ NEVIS
LUIS (1995)
DEAN (2007)
US $15 million
US $10 million
ST. LUCIA
US $16.9 million
COUNTRY

7. MAJOR HURRICANES IN THE CARIBBEAN BY DECADE, 1970-2008
CATEGORY OF HURRICANE
CATEGORY 3 9 7 11 10
CATEGORY 4 3 12
CATEGORY 5 2
TOTAL 15 17 25 29

8. ECONOMIC COSTS TO SECTOR ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE:
INCREASED CAPITAL ACCUMULATION IN THE SECTOR
STRENGTHENED INTER-SECTORAL LINKAGES
INCREASED PERSISTENT POVERTY
CONTINUED DEMOGRAPHIC
GROWTH AND SHIFTS
INCREASED PROBABILITY OF OCCURRENCE OF SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS

9. RISK, HAZARDS AND VULNERABILITY
R - f (H, V).
R - RISK
H - HAZARD
V - VULNERABILITY

10. CURRENT SITUATION

11. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

12. TECHNICAL ACTIONS

13. INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING
ENHANCE THE CULTURE FOR ARM AT REGIONAL, NATIONAL , AND COMMUNITY LEVEL
DEVELOP THE INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE
ESTABLISH AN OFFICE OF CHIEF AGRICULTURAL RISK OFFICER
DEVELOP EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING MATERIALS
DEVELOP ARM TOOLKITS
DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT COMMUNICATION/ PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAMMES

14. PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE AND MITIGATION CAPACITY ENHANCED
DESIGN AND IMLEMENTATION OF RISK TRANSFER MEASURES
INCORPERATE HAZARD INFORMATION AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT MEASURES IN THE PLANNING PROCESS
DEVELOP PROTOCOLS AND ESTABLISH RESOURCE FACILITY
IMPROVE NATIONAL AND LOCAL CAPACITY
DEVELOP CAPACITY FOR DAMAGE AND LOSS ASSESSMENTS

15. DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT RISK TRANSFER MECHANISMS
HOST REGIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRATEGY AND MODEL FOR AGRICULTURE INSURANCE
CONDUCT NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE
ENGAGE CCRIF IN DISCUSSIONS
INTRODUCE AGRICULTURAL RISK FINANCING MECHANISMS

16. INCORPERATION OF HAZARDS INFORMATION IN THE PLANNING PROCESS
INCOLLABORATION WITH CIMH, CONDUCT THE
FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES;
DROUGHT AND FLOOD ANALYSIS AND MONITORING
SEASONAL PRECIPITATION FORECASTS
AGROCLIMATIC STUDIES
FLOOD PLAIN MAPPING
DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

17. DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOCOLS AND RESOURCE FACILITY
DEVELOP AND UTILIZE PROTOCOLS OF BROAD PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS.
ESTABLISH AN AGRICULTURAL NATURAL DISASTER RESOURCE FACILITY CONSISTING OF TECHNICAL RESOURCES.
DEVELOP STANDARDIZED METHODOLOGY FOR DAMAGE AND LOSS ASSSESMENTS AND RECOVERY AND REHABILITATION.

18. STRENGTHENING OF NATIONAL AND LOCAL CAPACITIES FOR DISASTER MITIGATION PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
IMPROVE THE RESILIENCE OF THE SECTOR TO DISASTERS FOR SUSTAINABLE ATTAINMENT OF FOOD AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY (BELIZE, GRENADA AND ST. LUCIA)
IMPROVE RISK MANAGEMENT AND LAND DEGRADATION ASSESSMENTS (DOMINICA)
DEVELOP SEEDS/SEEDLINGS BANK FOR CRITICAL CROPS.
CONDUCT RESEARCH ON CROP SEQUENCING.

19. STRENGTHENING OF CAPACITY TO CONDUCT DAMAGE AND LOSS ASSESSMENTS
CONDUCT REGIONAL AND NATIONAL TRAINING EVENTS IN DALA METHODOLOGY
SUPPORT DAMAGE AND LOSS ASSESSMENT ASIGNMENT

20. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROVIDED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE SPECIES
GENERATE INFORMATION ON THE DIVERSITY, ECOLOGY, AND EVOLUTION OF THE H1N1 VIRUS
STRENGTHEN FIELD SURVEILLANCE AND LABORATORY SYSTEMS TO ENSURE DETECTION AND DIAGNOSIS

21. REDUCTION OF PRAEDIAL LARCENY
REVIEW THE STATE OF PRAEDIAL LARCENY IN THE REGION
PROMOTE OF PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAMME
INSTITUTIONALIZE FARM RECORD KEEPING

22. REDUCTION OF PRAEDIAL LARCENY CONT’D
PROMOTE FARMER REGISTRATION SYSTEMS
HOST REGIONAL FORUM TO ADDRESS CRITICAL ISSUES

23. OUTLOOK FOR ARM IN THE CARIBBEAN REGION

24. ELEMENTS OF GOOD DISASTER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
SUSTAINABLE INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
RISK IDENTIFICATION, MONITORING, EARLY WARNING AND PUBLIC AWARENESS
TECHNICAL AND PHYSICAL RISK MITIGATION
BUILDING RESILIENCE, PROMOTION OF INNOVATIVE, KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS
RISK SHARING AND RISK TRANSFER
PREPAREDNESS, EFFECTIVE RESPONSE AND SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY

25. THANK YOU