Caribbean Island Region

[Page 46]Many scientists, including Philip R. Berke and Timothy Beatley, agree that the Caribbean Island region is one of the most vulnerable geographic regions in the world because of its geographic location and the limited ability of some Caribbean nations to respond to disasters. Major vulnerabilities include earthquakes and volcanic activity, and violent storms that cause flooding and mudslides. Once the annual season begins, hurricanes from the coast of West Africa make landfall first on the Caribbean Islands. Even when hurricanes do not hit the islands directly, they can cause loss of life and considerable damage through flooding, beach erosion, property damage, and vegetation loss. Efforts directed toward disaster mitigation and management are severely limited by economics.

Around the world, hazard mapping is one of the most effective methods of disaster mitigation, but it has not been adequately implemented in poorer Caribbean nations such as Anguilla and Haiti. Even when maps do exist, they are often based on past experience, rather than on identification of areas of potential risk. There is also a serious lack of personnel trained in developing data so that regional plans can be adequately implemented. The Caribbean region is also noted for its volatile politics, and the extent of disaster relief preparation and management varies from country to country. Because disaster insurance is expensive, most low-income families and squatters are not covered when disaster strikes. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) inside the various countries may be small, with limited volunteers and funds available to deal with major disasters.

Because the Caribbean Island region is made up of developing countries, the region is heavily dependent on international help in disaster planning, mitigation, and management. The islands have also created a number of regional entities, such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), to consolidate disaster relief resources. In a broader sense, CDERA is heavily involved in averting disasters through mitigating the effects of global warming and promoting sustainable development. Individual nations, including the United States and Canada, also work closely with the Caribbean Island region on disaster mitigation and relief measures. Individual countries have also developed disaster relief strategies, but they vary greatly among nations, and are not always effectively implemented.