OECS and CDEMA partner to launch a Webinar on Shelter Management

Monday, June 29, 2020 — The OECS Environmental Sustainability Cluster and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) partner to launch a webinar on “Shelter Management: Best Practices and Tools for Preparedness” on July 14, 2020. The general public is invited to register in advance and to join the online discussions.

Emergency shelters provide vital spaces for impacted, vulnerable or unhoused members of the community prior to, or post a hazard event. The management of disaster shelters is evolving as managers and practitioners integrate learning and upgrades from research, experience and technology.

In CDEMA Participating States, including OECS Member States, many existing emergency shelters, in particular in smaller and more remote communities, were not originally designed as shelters, thus presenting functional and operational challenges and constraints.

The current COVID-19 pandemic also presents an additional layer of issues, constraints and protocols for consideration and adaptation for relevant authorities, agencies and communities.

The webinar will enable participants to explore the intricacies and challenges of developing and coordinating an effective emergency shelter management programme within communities in the Member States of the Eastern Caribbean. The Webinar will pursue four main objectives, namely:

identifying key policy recommendations and protocols for undertaking sheltering including in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak;

sharing experiences on implementing successful Shelter Management Programmes and addressing potential challenges;

highlighting best practices (tools and tips) that may assist with the enhancement or the expansion of OECS Member States’ Shelter Management Programmes and the involvement of communities in this process; and

providing an orientation to guidelines for sheltering during the 2020 hurricane season.

The following speakers will provide insights on shelter management during the 2020 hurricane season, recognizing the multi-hazard environment:

Denisse Solis, Emergency Shelter Senior Officer America’s Regional Office, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC);

Captain Robert Harewood, Senior Programme Officer, Preparedness & Response, CDEMA; and

Ms. Audrey Mullings, Disaster Risk Management Specialist, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

The general public is invited to participate in the webinar.