Activate disaster response systems – CDC to Local Govt bodies
One of the flooded houses in Kwakwani, Region 10
In light of the continuous flooding in communities across the country, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has urged Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC), Community Development Councils (CDC), Village Councils and Regional Democratic Councils (RDC) to report, assess and provide support to residents affected.
As such, the body has implored the local organs to utilise the training and plans provided by the CDC over the past years.
The CDC, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) was able to improve the National Disaster Risk Management System (DRM) which has the Regional Disaster Risk Management Systems as critical components.
This allowed each region to develop its own DRM system in keeping with the wider national mechanism. Plans and systems have been developed and implemented in all ten administrative regions.
The CDC in a release to the media explained that training was conducted with regional bodies in the areas of Community Based Disaster Risk Management, Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis, Shelter Management and Emergency Operation Centre Management in an effort to prepare them to act as first responders.
“During the trainings, participants were engaged in tabletop exercises to test how they would operationalise the system in the event of flooding and other events,” the release added.
CDC Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig pointed out that now is the time for these bodies to take responsibility as it relates to conducting damage assessment and providing support to communities affected by flooding.
Preparedness and Response Manager, Major Salim October related that oftentimes, the NDCs and CDCs refer the situation to the RDCs without any initial assessment.
Under the Regional Disaster Risk Management System, there is a Disaster Risk Management Committee chaired by the Regional Chairperson and includes programme heads, representatives from the Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Police Force, Local Chamber of Commerce, NGOs, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and other agencies operating in the region.
