Representatives from over twenty (20) organizations which make up the technical  advisory body of the National Emergency Advisory Council (NEAC) of NaDMA were  present at the Kick off meeting for the National Disaster Preparedness Baseline  Assessment (NDPBA) project held at the NaDMA’s Conference Room.

Paulo C. Fernandes Jr. of the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), facilitated the meeting  and shared the framework of the NDPBA for Grenada. He also provided a forum for  discussion on key disaster management/risk reduction topics in Grenada, and allowed  participants to exchange disaster management experiences, best practices, and data collection strategies.

The NDPBA is a sustainable system for accessing, understanding, updating, and  applying critical risk information in decision making. It provides the necessary tools,  scientific data, and evidence-based practices to effectively reduce disaster risk and  inform decisions at the national, subnational, and local levels.

The NDPBA includes a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) and PDC’s unique  Disaster Management Analysis (DMA). The RVA examines several components of  risk including exposure to hazards, vulnerability, coping capacity, and existing disaster  management capabilities.

The findings of the RVA are then contextualized through the lens of the Disaster  Management Agency (DMA). The DMA identifies disaster management capacity gaps  and opportunities within the context of risks identified and provides disaster  management recommendations designed to increase resilience and reduce disaster  risk.

Findings of this analysis are compiled into a 5-Year Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)  Plan, offering practical solutions and actions to be taken over a five-year period.

Following this kick off meeting, stakeholders will engage in data gathering exercises.  The data will be compiled, analyzed, and a report submitted for review. Once  accepted by the main body, the data will be used to guide crucial disaster management  related decisions.

The NDBPA is funded through the United States Military Liaison Office  (USMLO) Barbados and Eastern Caribbean, U.S. Embassy, Barbados, and is  supported and funded by the U.S Southern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance  Programme (HAP) Directorate.

Grenada is not the first for the implementation of this project as it was already  conducted in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

For additional information, please contact Ms. Oslyn Crosby Public Relations  Officer, NaDMA on 440-8390-4 & 440-0838, cell: 449-4024, or email:  admin@nadma.gd and nadmapr@gmail.com.

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