Regional BOTs ready for hurricane season after London talks
Premier Alden McLaughlin enjoys a joke at a function in London, with Minister Tara Rivers and Cayman’s representative in the UK, Eric Bush
(CNS): The politics of the UK imposing beneficial ownership registers on the territories and the constitutional fallout has been dominating Premier Alden McLaughlin’s visit to the UK this week but the matter of hurricane preparedness has also been high on the agenda. Given that some of the British Overseas Territories are still recovering from the impact of last year’s hurricanes, the leaders of the Caribbean BOTs were unified in their support for each other as the 2018 seasons begins. Cayman hosted a separate meeting with those leaders Tuesday, continuing on from a meeting in Miami earlier this year.
McLaughlin said that meeting was an opportunity for BOTs affected by natural disasters to come together and share knowledge and best practices. “We are able to use this forum to talk through shared challenges and developments,” he said.
Minister Tara Rivers said valuable lessons have been learned from the devastation caused to BVI, TCI and Anguilla last year, and that Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI), which she has responsibility for, had looked for ways to strengthen Cayman’s disaster preparedness, response and recovery plans and mechanisms.
“It’s clear that the commitment among the Caribbean OTs and Bermuda to continue to support one another during times such as these was recognised and appreciated,” she said. “Those who feel it know it. The collective approach to engaging with the UK Government on disaster management and recovery, which came about as a result of the meeting Cayman hosted in Miami last year, provided a good platform for future engagement and has yielded tangible results.”
Rivers said the territories expressed solidarity about supporting those affected by last year’s storms and the unified approach taken by the BOTs has had an impact on the UK Government’s approach to hurricane preparedness and disaster response in the region.
“I look forward to participating in future discussions with the minister responsible for the overseas territories to help establish a better coordinated approach and mechanisms for support,” she added.
During the bilateral meeting held with Cayman earlier in the week, Lord Ahmad indicated that he intends to convene a ministerial meeting, following the technical meeting planned in London later this month, to develop a suggested mechanism to strengthen the support of the Caribbean region territories during hurricane season and in the aftermath of devastating hurricanes.
Meanwhile, the pre-Joint Ministerial Council BOT heads of government meeting this week, which is held so that the territories can agree their agenda for the main event in November, also dealt with hurricane recovery and preparedness.
Category: Politics, Science & Nature, Weather
When we talk about climate change , what could that mean , and be referring to. Climate change could be anywhere , i.e the office , atmosphere etc . So you figure out what kind of climate change they are talking about.
Oh dear…did you really write that?
And Aldart thought to himself…”It is probably very clever…don’t let them know you don’t understand it”
‘Bermuda’s Resilience In The Face Of Hurricanes’
http://bernews.com/2015/05/bermudas-resilience-in-the-face-of-hurricanes/
“We do not have the option of evacuating with the approach of storms, and so, over time, we have built a unique infrastructure that is, generally speaking, hurricane resistant. Homes, for example, are made of Bermuda stone or cement block with roofs made of slate, and generally capable of withstanding extreme winds.”
Is it just me… but don’t these elected officials do a lot of talking and traveling….the bar needs to be raised where the development of plans and their implementation needs to be reality…. if not they all just a talk shop! #leadershiplacking
I have seen the plan. It’s every man for himself after a 2 minute warning of impending doom. Watch the Weather channel folks, Cayman warnings are none existent or incredibly late and on sources not available to all.
Like the TV & Internet where the Weather Channel is?
Cayman currently has insufficient and substandard hurricane shelters throughout the country but the Premier is attending another talk shop instead of focusing on home. It is only the grace of God why Cayman had not been hit by a hurricane like the other BOT’s.
Two questions:
1. I wonder if he thinks the U.K. will offer aid and financial support to Cayman in a disaster?
2. Did Cayman ever receive the EU relief funding that Alden applied for after Hurricane Ivan?
If you didn’t live in Cayman you’d never believe the stories and how disconnected the leadership is from the reality and concerns of the people.
They don’t care when they’ve already got the first tickets off island and a cosy little remote office to fiddle from in U.K.
So how Cayman’s disaster preparedness would be strengthened? Exactly what is being done? Don’t confuse with response and recovery plans.