“Some $200 million was sustained in direct losses and $300 million in insured infrastructure damage,” said Prime Minister Christie, who spoke on Monday at the National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) Disaster Management Conference at the Radisson Cable Beach Resort.
“This monetary loss is not by itself an accurate indicator of proportionate loss or associated social cost for vulnerable groups. Our experiences during the past two hurricane seasons point to the fact that we needed to be better prepared.”
The prime minister said the hurricanes brought into sharp focus the challenges of responding to high magnitude hazard impacting events.
Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne created widespread devastation in parts of the country, particularly in the northern Bahamas where the situation was compounded by Hurricane Wilma last October.
In response to the 2004 storms, the government sped up the drafting of the Disaster Preparedness and Response Bill, which passed in the House of Assembly and Senate last year.
“While the National Emergency Management Agency is to promote and propel the comprehensive disaster management agenda, the full participation of all sectors is required to make this a success,” Mr. Christie said.
“Management of disasters should be an interface between a community effort to mitigate and prevent disasters and an effort from the government machinery to buttress and support community initiatives.”
He added that the impact of the hurricanes on coastal communities underscored the need to give particular attention to where and how Bahamian citizens and residents construct their homes, roads, schools, hotels and critical infrastructure such as clinics and police stations.
“Additionally, they underscored the need for decisive actions at the national level in embracing risk management policies and practices in our social and economic landscape,” he said.
The prime minister added that the root causes of disaster risk are linked to development practice and that proactive disaster risk management is a prerequisite for sustained risk reduction, social and economic growth and development.
The prime minister also announced that the Government of The Bahamas in partnership with U.S. authorities will continue to collaborate on the design and construction of a National Emergency Cooperation Centre, which is expected to come to “full fruition” over the next 18 months.
“We are currently in dialogue with the Inter-American Development Bank in formulating a disaster risk reduction project with the goal to reduce the vulnerability, risk and loss from natural and manmade hazards,” Mr. Christie said.
“It is our expectation that this undertaking will serve as the major thrust in integrating a comprehensive disaster management process of The Bahamas.”
The prime minister noted that as the country is only nine weeks away from the official start of the hurricane season that commences on June 1, the conference will reflect upon the country’s preparedness for and response to tropical storms over the past years and focus upon the state of preparedness in the upcoming season.
He noted that meteorologists have already forecasted that the 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season will be “an extremely active” one.
The Bahama Journal
