The Caribbean Project: Capacity Development Phase

The results of the assessment phase highlighted the need for a more coordinated approach to strengthen institutional capacities at national and regional levels to support risk assessment and multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) for meteorological, hydrological and climate-related hazards in the Caribbean. This will require stronger cooperation with a multi-sectoral, multi-hazard, multi-level approach within the context of the priorities in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and adaptation planning in the countries/territories in the region, to ensure:

1. Legal and institutional arrangements supporting DRR and MHEWS are well established;
2. Risk assessment capacities are developed and applied multi-sectorally for planning and decision-making;
3. Quality Management Systems (QMS) and WMO Secretariat Operating Plans (SOPs) are developed between National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and other early warning system (EWS) stakeholders to ensure effective execution of MHEWSs;
4. Operational meteorological, climate-related and hydrological services to support DRR are strengthened at national and regional levels with consideration of user needs and requirements within various sectors;
5. The efficient coordination of MHEWS at both national and regional levels.

In this regard, a preliminary project concept was identified during the last stage of the Phase I consultations. The project concept includes two components and associated objectives:

Component 1: Governance and institutional frameworks for risk assessment and MHEWS at national level
Objectives:

1. Facilitate dialogues on national policy/legislation, and workshops in the field of risk management for the strengthening of meteorological, hydrological and climate-related services;
2. Identify the roles and responsibilities of National Meteorological Services (NMSs) as reflected in national policy, legal frameworks and institutional coordination mechanisms, within a DRR framework.

Component 2: Operational MHEWS capacity development with national and regional components
Objective: Develop and demonstrate operational capacities in MHEWS for severe weather (heavy precipitation) and flooding (flash floods and coastal inundation). These capacities must span all components of regional cooperation in national MHEWS, including monitoring and forecasting, risk analysis, dissemination and communication, development or strengthening of SOPs for emergency contingency planning, and activation of emergency plans based on warnings issued on the levels of risks.

During 2012, the proposal and resource mobilization for a Phase I Project was pursued and Phase II was launched in 2013.