The UNDP has reinforced its commitment to scaling up programs in climate change and disaster risk. Word of this came from Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Jamaica, Kishan Khoday.
He made these comments at the UNDP’s Disaster Risk Resilience Knowledge Exchange held on 17 May 2024. Mr. Khoday further committed his organization’s support to these efforts. The focus will be on “strengthening capacities to better manage risk and achieve just and resilience development pathways.”
Also in attendance at the exchange was Bahamas’ Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Hon Leon Lun. He outlined his nation’s resilience plans which include infrastructural, policy and outreach interventions. One of the interventions currently in action is the construction is the construction of a climate resilient community shelter on Abaco. The government of India and the UNDP are financing the project.
Jamaica’s ODPEM Acting Director-General Richard Thompson echoed these sentiments. He stressed the importance of social capital and community capacity building in disaster emergency response. This can be achieved if training and capacity development are implemented consistently. He gave an example, where shelter management training is offered year-round to ensure that there is enough capacity to implement and manage at the local level.
There were presentations by:
- Aarone Sargent, Managing Director (Acting) Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA) The Bahamas
- Brian Been, Policy, Planning and Programme Manager in the Turks and Caicos Islands Government;
- Anila Qehaja, UNDP Information Management Specialist;
- and Hartley Eugene Thompson II, UNDP Engineer/Architect.
About the Disaster Risk Resilience Knowledge Exchange
The Disaster Risk Resilience Knowledge Exchange, which is part two of UNDP’s Resilient Series aims to share lessons and best practices for a climate resilient future. It is key development solution under UNDP’s Multi-Country Programme (2022-2026) under which UNDP supports local initiatives for resilient and sustainable development in The Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Source: UNDP ready to scale up disaster risk resilience support – Resident Representative
Image: Jamaica Information Service (JIS)
