Improved Disaster Risk Management for Ports in the Caribbean

The Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) with financial contributions from the Governments of Italy and the United States and the institutional support from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA), CIP National Port Authorities, HudsonAnalytix, National Port Authority of Peru (APN), Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC), T&T Salvage, and the United States Coast Guard (USCG), is implementing the project Improved Disaster Risk Management for Ports in the Caribbean to strengthen institutional disaster risk management capabilities in Port and Maritime Authorities in the Caribbean and reduce the impact of natural and anthropogenic disasters on port operations.

Implemented in four phases (capabilities assessment; plan development; training workshops; drills and exercises), one of the key outputs of this initiative is the Model Emergency Operations Plan (MEOP) for Caribbean Ports. The Plan, led by the CIP Secretariat and prepared by a team of experts from HudsonTrident in consultation with CDEMA, CSA, PMAC, the Organization of American States (OAS) Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) Risk Management Division, and USCG, lays a comprehensive foundation for an EOP that may be adapted based on a Port’s individual characteristics and/or disaster risk management requirements.

Key achievements to date:

Launched and disseminated the CIP Model Emergency Operations Plan (MEOP) for Ports in the Caribbean, available in all four official OAS-CIP languages below.
Produced and disseminated the six-module Training Materials and Glossary for improved disaster risk management in Caribbean ports, available below.
Conducted three (3) online workshops for improved disaster risk management in Caribbean ports with 62 participants from 12 OAS-CIP Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago), as well as from Bonaire, Turks and Caicos Islands through the MoU with the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC).
Conducted one (1) in-person workshop for improved disaster risk management in Caribbean ports with 28 participants from 12 OAS-CIP Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago), held in Kingston, Jamaica, with participation from CDEMA, HudsonAnalytix, Kingston Wharves Limited (KWL), Jamaica Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).
Conducted one (1) Table-Top Exercise (TTX) with 28 participants from 12 OAS-CIP Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago), held in Kingston, Jamaica, to formulate actionable strategies that help mitigate business interruptions caused by natural and anthropogenic disasters.
Conducted one (1) Table-Top Exercise (TTX) with 28 participants from 13 OAS-CIP Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago), in Bridgetown, Barbados, to formulate actionable strategies to plan, prepare, and respond to a disaster.
Conducted one (1) Table-Top Exercise (TTX) with 36 participants from 12 OAS-CIP Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago), in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, to formulate actionable strategies to plan, prepare, and respond to a disaster.