In February, the Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project (CDMP) held its annual Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting in Kingston, Jamaica. Participants in the meeting included representatives of CARICOM, CDERA, the former PCDPPP, staff of the project implementation unit and USAID representatives (OFDA, CORA and the Dominican Republic). In response to requests at the TAC meeting, CDMP has developed a transition plan for regional project coordination and a plan for long term sustainability of CDMP activities in the region. (See page * for full description.)

Significant work was undertaken during this quarter to upgrade the TAOS storm hazard model. Requests and suggestions made by Caribbean Meteorological Institute (CMI) over the previous year were incorporated into this upgrade, with enhancements focusing on the user interface and the incorporation of a wave model into TAOS. Work on this upgrade will be complete in the next quarter and CDMP will organize a training workshop for TAOS users. (See page *.)

During the week of March 3–6, 1997, the CDMP and the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hosted the workshop Introduction to Hurricane Preparedness at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. National Disaster Coordinators and National Meteorological officials from 12 Caribbean countries and representatives of the CMI and CDERA attended the workshop. Highlights of the workshop included workshop presentations by National Hurricane Center staff responsible for preparation of the actual hurricane advisories and forecasts, in-depth discussion of hurricane advisory preparation and the inclusion of meteorological officials and disaster coordinators in the same workshop. (See page * for full description).

1. Quarterly financial report
2. Evaluation report for Regional Workshop on Hurricane Preparedness at the National Hurricane Center
3. CDMP home page on the World Wide Web (http://www.methaz.com/cdmp)
4. Participants in the CDMP Technical Advisory Committee meeting

In February, the Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project (CDMP) held its annual Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting in Kingston, Jamaica Participants in the meeting included representatives of CARICOM, CDERA, the former PCDPPP, staff of the project implementation unit and USAID representatives (OFDA, CORA and the Dominican Republic). A list of TAC participants is attached. For discussion at the meeting, CDMP prepared reports on the previous year’s activities, project expenditures to date and a work plan and budget for the 1997 project year. Based on discussions at the TAC, these materials have been revised and redistributed.

With the closing of the CDMP regional office, the TAC requested that a plan for transfer of responsibilities of the regional coordinator be developed. With the beginning of the fourth project year, the TAC also requested the development of a plan for long term sustainability of CDMP activities in the Region. These documents have been developed, and copies of each of these documents are attached.

During this quarter, a home page for the CDMP was established on the World Wide Web. This page includes a project introduction, an overview of activities, and progress bulletins. This page will be updated regularly. The web address is http://www.oas.org/en/cdmp.

Subsequent to the hurricane preparedness workshop at the National Hurricane Center, a selected set of CDMP documents was sent to all National Disaster Coordinators who participated in the workshop. A set of CDMP publications was also sent to Professor LaVerne Ragster of the University of the Eastern Caribbean, in the USVI.

The JIE and the CDMP met prior to the Technical Advisory Committee meeting, and agreed on a course of action to resolve the outstanding issues and proceed with completing this exercise. It was agreed that the JIE would provide CDMP with information on the 3 storms for which JIE has actual surge readings, and that CDMP would run the storm surge model for these 3 storms. Subsequently, the two existing Montego Bay hazard assessment reports would be revised based on the results of the analysis. CDMP and the JIE also agreed to put the KMA surge hazard assessment on hold until completion of the Montego Bay exercise. JIE supplied historical storm information for the 1912, 1933 and 1944 storms. CDMP has begun modeling work on these storms.

Work on the landslide assessment continued during this quarter. Digital topographical data was obtained from the Mines and Geology Division, while information from the Survey Department continues to be unavailable. Landslide information is being compiled from aerial photography interpretation and field mapping at a base map scale of 1:12,500. This information is presently only available at a scale of 1:50,000. Work completed on this project suggests that new landslides are invariably associated with old zones of slope failure.

A delay in the delivery of equipment to the Survey Division hindered progress on the digital elevation model (DEM) under creation for the geological component of the project. Nonetheless, the final section of that DEM will soon be complete. Final work on the seismic catalog is almost complete, with information on source zone parameters still to be completed. Finalization of the DEM and the seismic catalog will bring phase I of the seismic hazard assessment to completion during the next quarter. CDMP has begun planning for the second (and final) phase of the seismic hazard assessment.

Engineering consultants to the Government of Dominica supplied the government with geo-technical reports for the project locations. These studies, however, were deemed inadequate by CDMP for preparation of final design standards. CDMP informed the Government of Dominica of this assessment, and provided them with a copy of the minimum standards for the geotechnical work.

Significant work was undertaken during this quarter to upgrade the TAOS storm hazard model. Requests and suggestions made by CMI over the previous year were incorporated into this upgrade, with enhancements focusing on the user interface and the incorporation of a wave model into TAOS. Work on this upgrade will be complete in the next quarter and CDMP will organize a training workshop for TAOS users.

During the week of March 3–6, 1997, the CDMP and the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hosted the workshop Introduction to Hurricane Preparedness at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. National Disaster Coordinators and National Meteorological officials from 12 Caribbean countries and representatives of the CMI and CDERA attended the workshop. The purpose of this workshop was to train participants in the proper use and interpretation of National Hurricane Center storm forecasts, improve communication between Caribbean meteorological officers and Disaster Coordinators, and familiarize participants with storm surge modeling and the TAOS storm surge model in particular. A summary of the evaluation forms filled in by workshop participants is attached.

Highlights included workshop presentations by National Hurricane Center staff responsible for preparation of the actual hurricane advisories and forecasts, in-depth discussion of hurricane advisory preparation and the inclusion of meteorological officials and disaster coordinators in the same workshop. By providing disaster and meteorological officials an opportunity to study the hurricane forecasting process at the National Hurricane Center and meet its staff, this workshop has increased their ability to respond to hurricane forecasts during the storm season. Coordination between disaster coordination and meteorological offices within individual countries and the region as a whole will also benefit from the results of this workshop.

Preparation for the workshop on national disaster planning continued during this quarter. Members of the technical working group for the project met in Kingston to review progress. CDMP presented a draft outline for the workshop and an approach to mitigation planning for use in the mitigation planning manual. Full drafts of the planning manual and the workshop program were completed at the end of the quarter and were submitted to CDERA for comments. The workshop will be held in St. Lucia in early July.

The Comite Dominicano de Mitigacion de Desastres (CDMD) continued implementation of CDMP activities in the Dominican Republic during this quarter. In February, CDMD held its annual meeting. A new board of directors was elected, which includes representatives of five public-sector organizations and five NGOs. CDMD also has 32 affiliated organizations and associations.

In March, CDMD organized the National Training Course for Instructors in Santo Domingo. Sixteen participants, including five from Haiti, attended this four-day course. The first meeting of the "Coordination and Communication Mechanism for Private Schools"—a forum organized by CDMD for hazard mitigation assessment and education in schools—took place in February. In March, CDMD organized and hosted the first meeting of the "Multi-Institutional Committee for the Estimation of Damages and Fatalities due to Structural Failure during an Earthquake." This group plans to develop an estimate of the potential for earthquake-related damages and fatalities, but determined that more soil and structural data are needed to complete this work.

During this quarter, CDMD trained 34 community facilitators and conducted 27 community disaster preparedness workshops. A meeting of representatives of communities that have hosted CDMD community preparedness workshops was convened in February. These workshops have had a tangible effect in host communities, including many new local projects, some of which have received assistance from the local governments. CDMD met with 10 communities during this quarter to introduce and provide assistance with application for its Community Initiatives program. CDMD also conducted 11 general outreach meetings with local business, community and governmental organizations during this quarter

The CDMP project manager traveled to Haiti at the beginning of this quarter to review CDMP progress in the country and set priorities for the coming year. Project activities will focus on three highly vulnerable administrative districts—Jacmel, Les Cayes and Jérémie—and will include the creation of disaster committees and implementation of vulnerability studies. During this quarter, work was begun in Jacmel, where CDMP contributed to the creation of the "Comité de Mitigation et de Gestion de Désastres/Jacmel." CDMP also contracted for the implementation of a local vulnerability study for Jacmel. Planning and coordination of that study has begun.

A delegation from Haiti participated in the Training for Instructors course in the Dominican Republic. This group included the local CDMP coordinator and a representative from Jacmel. Participants found the workshop useful. CDMP has completed the translation into French of the OFDA manual for this course.

No activities this quarter.

No activities this quarter.

In response to an initiative from USAID/CORA, CDMP prepared a proposal last year for a joint program with CDB to provide a line of credit to OECS governments for rehabilitation of schools and shelters to safer standards in hurricane conditions. In February, the Caribbean Development Bank sent a letter to the governments of Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Monserrat, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and the Turks and Caicos Islands announcing this program. Four countries have expressed interest in this program, three formally—St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines—and one informally—Antigua & Barbuda. CDMP is developing a scope of work for a primary assessment of selected shelters, formulation of standards for detailed assessments and retrofitting and cost estimates for the retrofit work.

A document was prepared describing the objectives of this program, the achievements of the pilots in Dominica and S. Lucia, and a strategy for expansion and replication throughout the region. This document was sent to CDB together with a letter inviting CDB to identify ways in which it could play a role in the program, in particular as a contributor to the revolving loan fund.

During this quarter, 5 houses were retrofitted with an average loan amount of $3,711 and CARITAS is processing 8 new applicants. Significant interest has been expressed in the program, but most applicants request loans well above the $4,000 cap—usually to fund major repairs or new building, rather than retrofits. Ten additional persons were trained in retrofitting techniques.

CARITAS continues administration of the program in St. Lucia. The new project director has taken charge of on-site training and control of retrofit materials. The Peace Corps volunteer who had been affiliated with the project did not have time to continue that work and has left the project.

During this quarter, the National Development Foundation (NDF) held two community outreach meetings to publicize the housing retrofit program. Both meetings were well attended and generated much interest in the program. Only one loan request resulted from these meetings, however, because most of those who expressed interest had no regular means of loan repayment.

The board of the NDF Dominica met in January to discuss possible approaches for generating greater participation in the loan program. Proposals included renaming the loans from "Housing Retrofit Loans" to "Home Improvement Loans", increasing the loan ceiling from EC $5,000 to EC $25,000 (to be supported by funds other than those made available by CHF), and extending the loan repayment period. The board decided to analyze these options further for a later decision.

During the upcoming quarter, CDMP will determine the direction of its future involvement in this housing retrofit work in Dominica.

During this quarter, the National Development Foundation of Antigua and Barbuda submitted a proposal to the Cooperative Housing Foundation for the financial resources to implement a housing retrofit project and establish a revolving loan fund to finance retrofitting of low-income housing in the country. NDF has also submitted a request to CDMP to fund technical assistance to this project, half of the first year salary of a field officer and costs for training this field officer through an attachment with the NDF in Dominica. CDMP and CHF prepared a positive reply.

Preliminary contacts were made with CDB and the UNCHS regarding the organization of a training program for building inspectors. Planning for this training program will continue in the next quarter.

A draft of the World Bank feasibility study on Reinsurance pooling was completed during this quarter. This draft has been circulated for review within the World Bank. A final version of this report is expected to be complete by the end of May.

The computers purchased for use in this project were shipped to Dominica during this quarter. Distribution of the computers to the Physical Planning Unit and SCEPTRE, however, was delayed because of a change in the head of the National Development and Planning Corporation. Review of the project by the new director caused delays in all other planned activities during the quarter. With completion of this review at the end of the quarter, project activities will resume in next quarter.

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