BEYOND LESSONS LEARNED FROM POST- DISASTER RECOVERY: THE CARIBBEAN NARRATIVE CARIBBEAN EXPERIENCES ON RECOVERY PLANNING ONLINE FORUM BACKGROUND This VC Forum provides a reflection on the • Whilst the Caribbean has invested heavily in approaches to recovery disaster preparedness, especially response, planning in the the evidence suggests that this is seldom the Caribbean, the processes case for recovery. and institutional • Notwithstanding the model recovery arrangements for ex ante guidelines developed in 1999, post hurricane driven interventions that Lenny, reviews of recent impacting events in facilitate the transition the last 15 years present recovery as a pathway from recovery reactive exercise. to resilience • Whilst the notion of building back better surfaced in post Ivan 2004 the 2017 events of Irma and Maria and Dorian 2019 have catapulted this concept in the lexicon and thinking of policy makers platformed on the value proposition of the Resilient State. COVID-19 has presented another lens for reflecting on Recovery in the Caribbean VC FORUM OBJECTIVES

The main objective is to highlight cross-country and regional lessons learned from post-disaster recovery operations within the Caribbean with the intent of exploring synergies, complementarities and good practices within the region. Specifically, the Regional Recovery Forum is a learning event that:

Exchanges and shares lessons learned on Caribbean post-disaster recovery operations (building back better and more resilient)

Reflects on existing initiatives being implemented that can achieve efficient and effective post-disaster resilient recovery outcomes With assistance from the Organized by Government of the The University of the Commonwealth of West Indies Bahamas

ORGANIZERS AND FUNDING

Hosted Funded by the United National Development by UWItv Programme AGENDA

OPENING REMARKS Setting the stage for Resilient Recovery

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor, The University of the West Indies

Denise Antonio, UNDP Resident Representative for , Belize, Bermuda, , The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos

Hon. Iram Lewis, Minister, Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction AGENDA

CASES STUDIES ON LESSONS LEARNED FROM POST-DISASTER RECOVERY

Recovery Lessons The COVID-19 Supporting National 2008 and After Recovery Lens Recovery Efforts: • Dr. Virginia Clerveaux, • Mr. Richard Carter, The Regional Lens Head Department of COVID-19 Czar, • Ms Elizabeth Riley, Disaster Management, Barbados Executive Director (ag), Turks and Caicos Islands Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) AGENDA

LESSONS LEARNED: REVISITING INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND MECHANISMS FOR RECOVERY

Mainstreaming and 2020-2030 Climate Setting the Stage for Resilience and Economic Imperatives for Resilient Recovery: Recovery Plan: From Recovery Overcoming the Concept to Action Implementation Challenges

Ms Gloria Joseph, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Planning, Minister Iram Lewis, Ministry of Resilience, Sustainable Disaster Preparedness, Dr. Justin Ram, CEO GSec Development, Management and Reconstruction Telecommunications and – Bahamas Broadcasting – Commonwealth of MODERATOR

Jeremy Collymore is the Adviser, Disaster Resilience, Office of the Vice Chancellor, University of the West Indies (UWI). A Geographer with training in Environmental Design and Planning he served as the Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) from 1991 until 2013. He has enjoyed over 35 years of service in the field of Disaster Risk Management functioning in various capacities that involved research; teaching; programme design, implementation and review; policy development and advocacy. He was an architect of the Regional Strategy for Comprehensive Disaster Management which champions resilient development.

He has also served on a diversity of national, regional and international working groups and task forces focusing on resilience, climate change and disaster risk management. In his current capacity he is coordinating the efforts of the UWI to become a resilient institution and in championing resilience in the Caribbean.

Recognition of his work includes the inaugural CDEMA Ministerial Council Award (2015), Barbados National Honors for work in DRM at regional and international levels (2016); the Department of Geography Golden Anniversary Trail Blazer Award (2017) and the International Award of the US National Hurricane Conference (1993). In 2013 the University of the West Indies designated him an Honorary Research Fellow in its Institute of Sustainable Development. • The evidence suggests that the investment in recovery planning is not commensurate with hazardousness of the region and impacting events experienced. Though model recovery guidelines were developed in 1999, post hurricane Lenny, reviews of impacting events in the last 15 years, suggest that recovery is a reactive exercise. • However, since the 2017 events of Irma Moderator’s and Maria and Dorian in 2019 we are beginning to see more investment at the national level, with donor support, at Opening mainstreaming recovery in DRM programming and Resilience thinking. Statement COVID-19 has presented another lens for reflecting on Recovery in the Caribbean. • I wish to posit that the value proposition, in CARICOM, of the Resilient State has created the fuel for shifting from recovery as a reactive exercise to one that is proactive and strategic. • This VC Forum provides a space for reflecting on the approaches to recovery planning in the Caribbean, the processes and institutional arrangements for ex ante driven interventions which facilitate the transition pathway from recovery to resilience.

• FORUM OBJECTIVE: The main objective is to highlight cross-country and regional lessons learned from post-disaster recovery operations within the Caribbean with the intent of exploring synergies, good Moderator’s practices and gaps. Opening • It is a key part of the UWI’s ongoing efforts in assisting the Government of the Statement Bahamas in shaping a resilient recovery agenda with the support of UNDP and the collaboration of the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness Management and Reconstruction. The key outputs include a Draft Resilient Recovery Policy, Strategy/Plan and Recommendations for the institutional arrangements to deliver and sustain these. • The six panelists who provide reflections come from recently impacted CDEMA Participating States, including by COVID- 19, CDEMA CU. We will also receive the perspective of a finance and resilience economist who has extensive practice in the region. • The FORUM will have two key parts, in addition to the opening and closing sessions. The first looks at recover cases Moderator’s at the national and regional levels and the 2nd looks at the efforts at the Opening institutionalization and financing of recovery. Statement • At this time, I would to begin the proceedings by hearing from the principal collaborating partners in this VC Forum – The University of the West Indies, UNDP and the Government of the Bahamas. PRESENTERS Mrs. Denise Honourable Iram Dr. Virginia Antonio; UNDP Lewis; The Clerveaux; Director Professor Hilary Representative in Bahamas’ Minister at the Department Beckles; 8th Vice- Jamaica, Belize, of Disaster of Disaster Chancellor of The Bermuda, Cayman Preparedness, Management and UWI. Islands, The Management and Emergencies Bahamas and Turks Reconstruction. (DDME) and Caicos Islands.

Mrs. Gloria Joseph; Permanent Secretary for Economic Affairs, Mr. Richard Carter, Ms. Elizabeth Riley; Investment, Dr. Justin Ram; COVID-19 Czar, Executive Director Planning, CEO, GSEC Barbados (ag), CDEMA Resilience, Sustainable Development, Telecomms and Broadcasting Professor Hilary Beckles; 8th Vice- Chancellor of The UWI.

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, the 8thVice- Before assuming office as Vice-Chancellor in Chancellor of The University of the West Indies 2015, he served the university as Professor of (The UWI) is a distinguished academic, Economic History, Pro-Vice Chancellor for international thought leader, United Nations Undergraduate Studies, and Principal of its Cave committee official, and global public activist in Hill Campus in Barbados for thirteen years the field of social justice and minority (2002-2015). empowerment.

The issues of resilience and sustainability are As Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West visible in the UWI’s 2017-22 Strategic Plan built Indies, Sir Hilary conceptualized the university’s upon the pillars of Access, Alignment and Agility. Triple A Strategy which is committed to Alignment is very relevant to our mission today leveraging the resources and capabilities of the as it seeks to create value-added relationships university in the quest for the revitalization of with partners to ensure that the university Caribbean development. meets the needs of the community it serves.

His stewardship is anchored on a commitment to the globalization of the University. Under his watch the UWI debut in the prestigious Times Amid all of this, Sir Hilary is an accomplished Higher Education Ranking, in which it is now playwright with six of his staged works receiving ranked in the top 1% of the world’s best age popular acclaim in the Caribbean. aligned universities. “The UWI has done in a few years what other universities have taken decades or centuries” Mrs. Denise Antonio; UNDP Representative in Jamaica, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Denise has more than 20 years’ experience Denise Antonio, a married mother of five, is in the United Nations system. She has the UNDP Resident Representative for served as Deputy Country Director Jamaica, Belize, Bermuda, The Bahamas, (Operations) with UNDP in Angola (2015- Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos 2019); Zimbabwe (2011-2015) and Deputy Islands. Resident Representative (Operations) in Ghana (2006-2011).

Before joining the United Nations, Denise Denise served as Chief Budget Officer with held various positions of increasing the United Nations Mission in Cote d’ivoire responsibility in the USA as Controller at (ONUCI) in Abidjan (2005-2006). She also ScreenVision Cinema Network (1998); served as Peacekeeping Accounts Officer Controller at International Herald Tribune with the United Nations in New York (2000- (1995-1996); Senior Internal Auditor at The 2005) and as Financial Systems Specialist New York Times Company (1990-1995) and with UFPA (1998-2000). Auditor at New York Life Insurance Company (1998-1990)

Denise is a Certified Public Accountant in New York State and a graduate of Business Administration in Accounting from Adelphi University. Honourable Iram Lewis; The Bahamas’ Minister of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction.

Previously he served as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works from 2017- The Hon. Iram D. Lewis is a Minister 2019. An Architect by profession, he of State, with responsibility for the obtained his academic qualifications Ministry of Disaster, Preparedness, from both the University of The Management, and Reconstruction. Bahamas (former College of The Bahamas) and Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama.

Minster Lewis, prior to assuming an active role in politics, served as the President of Kiwanis Club, Cable Beach. Further, he represented The Bahamas, as an athlete in two Minister Lewis is married to the Olympics, 1996, Atlanta, USA and former, Heather Tynes and has one 2000, Sydney, Australia. In Sydney, daughter. Australia, he was appointed as team captain. Additionally, in 2015, he was named to the University of The Bahamas Hall of Fame. Dr. Virginia Clerveaux; Director at the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME)

Prior to her current appointment, Dr. Clerveaux worked as the Deputy Secretary for the Ministry of Border Control and Labour, Deputy Secretary for Dr. Virginia Clerveaux has been the Ministry of Government Support Services, employed with the Department of Deputy Director of the Department of Disaster Disaster Management and Management and Emergencies (DDME) in the Turks Emergencies (DDME), since 2011 and and Caicos Islands; Senior Programme Officer with currently holds the position as the the Barbados Headquartered Caribbean Disaster Director of the Department in the Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and as Turks and Caicos Islands. the Community and Disaster Manager with the British Red Cross following the impact of in the TCI.

Dr. Clerveaux has worked in Haiti following the Haiti Earthquake and responded as part of the Regional Response Team in Haiti and the Bahamas following in 2016 and Dorian in the Bahamas in 2019. Dr. Clerveaux also led the response and early recovery efforts in the TCI following the double impact from and Maria in 2017. Mr. Richard Carter, COVID-19 Czar, Barbados

Richard Carter is a Barbadian sociologist who has worked as a Research Fellow at the Mr. Carter’s current substantive post is Team Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Leader for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Economic Studies, UWI; Lecturer in Social Reduction with the UK Department for Problems and Social Policy in the Caribbean; International Development where he and Director of Youth Affairs with the oversees Disaster Risk Reduction and Government of Barbados. Mr. Carter is Recovery work such as support for the currently on special attachment to the Climate Resilience Execution Agency in Government of Barbados as the COVID-19 Dominica; the SMART Health Care Facilities Czar with overarching responsibility for the programme; and the Resilience & Recovery implementation of the National Pandemic Programme in partnership with UNDP. Preparedness Plan for COVID-19.

Mr. Carter’s role of COVID-19 Czar comes on the back of his leading the social mobilization, behavior change communication and quarantine support of the UK government on the front line of the Ebola response in Sierra Leone; as well as decades of experience working with on HIV/AIDS with the National HIV/AIDS Commission in Barbados and CARICOM’s Pan- Caribbean Partnership across the region. Ms. Elizabeth Riley; Executive Director (ag), CDEMA

Ms. Elizabeth Riley was appointed Executive Director (ag) at the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) effective May 1, 2020. Ms. Riley joined the team at the CDEMA Coordinating Unit in 2001 and was appointed Deputy Executive Director in April 2012. She also acted in the Deputy position between 2009 and 2012. Ms. Riley has over 20 years experience in the area of disaster management at the regional and international levels in various capacities. As Deputy, she held overall responsibility for the Agency’s technical programming and provided strategic guidance in the areas of Preparedness and Response, Mitigation, Recovery, Education and Training and Information Management. At the operational level, Ms Riley has played a leadership role in the coordination of regional responses to Hurricanes Ivan (2004), the Haiti Earthquake (2010); (2015), Hurricanes Joaquin (2015), Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Maria (2017) and Dorian (2019). Her field experience includes the leadership of CDEMA deployment teams in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma (2017) and Dorian (2019). Ms. Riley is currently playing a leadership role in the coordination of the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She has written, presented, and published technical papers in disaster management and environmental management whilst attached to CDEMA and prior to that during her tenure at the University of the West Indies and the Ministry of Physical Development and Environment in Barbados. Ms Riley has also lectured in Disaster Management at the University of the West Indies, Mona and Cave Hill.

At the international level, she has contributed to a range of technical advisory committees and is currently Vice-Chair of the ICG/Caribe Early Warning Systems Group of Experts on Coastal Hazards. She also sits on the Regional Advisory Group leading the implementation of the Regional Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean on Disaster Risk Management in the Agriculture and Food and Nutrition Sectors.

Ms. Riley holds a M.A (Econ) in Environment and Development from University of Manchester, United Kingdom, BSc. (Hons) in Geography from the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica and a Masters Certificate in Results Based Monitoring and Evaluation and Information Systems from the University of Laval, Quebec. Mrs. Gloria Joseph; Permanent Secretary for Economic Affairs, Investment, Planning, Resilience, Sustainable Development, Telecommunications and Broadcasting

Mrs. Gloria Joseph is a results-oriented, high-energy, hands-on professional, with a successful record in leadership, national strategic planning, knowledge transfer, communication and human resource management. Mrs. Joseph holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Leicester, UK , and through her professional career, she has held key leadership positions including: •Cable & Wireless Dominica Ltd. •Acting Head of Sales and Vice President Human Resource & Administration •eLearning Administrator from 2002-2008 •Regional Super Trainer on GSM Mobile Technology •Manager; Training and Human Resource Development

•Human Resource Manager (Statutory Corporations) •Public Works Corporation •Discover Dominica Authority •Invest Dominica Authority

•Government of Dominica •High School Teacher and Adjunct Lecturer at the Dominica State College •Coordinator; National Employment Programme •Chair Personnel Officer •Chairperson; CBI Real Estate Programme Committee (2015 – present) •Permanent Secretary (2015 – present); Economic Affairs, Planning, Investment, Resilience, Sustainable Development, Telecommunications and Broadcasting. Dr. Justin Ram; CEO, GSEC

His economic specializations include resilience Dr. Justin Ram is Co-founder of GSec; a digital economics and finance, vulnerability indices, securities company which democratizes government environmental and natural resource economics, investments and is pioneering sovereign debt capital climate change economics, development economics, market, as well as shaping the future up government macroeconomics, fiscal and debt analysis, financial issued securities; and Justin Ram advisory. He is a sector economics, energy economics, transport senior economist with over 25 years of practical, economics, implementation, social economics and advisory, research and management experience. labor market economics.

He is well experienced in his field and was previously He has a diploma in Executive Management From the Director of the Economics Department at the Stanford University and a PhD from the London School Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), where he had a of Economics and Political Science. He also holds a host of responsibilities, including Strategic Direction Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Economics from and Economic Research. Before joining the CDB, he the UWI and the University College, London was a Senior Global Economist with WorleyParsons, a respectively, in addition to a Post-Graduate Certificate Supervisory Economist with the Mayor of London/ in Sustainable Environmental Management from The Greater London Authority, Technical Director with University of California, Berkeley. Jacobs Engineering, and an economist with the UK Government’s Department for Transport.

He also taught at the London School of Economics and Political Science, as well as the University of the West Indies St. Augustine . Justin also worked as an analyst with Thompson/ Reuters. He has worked as a consultant on substantial climate change and energy projects in the Caribbean, Central Asia, Africa and Europe. He has worked on projects and programmes in over 32 countries across the globe. OPENING REMARKS • The conversation of today’s Vice-Chancellor’s Forum has to do with where we are in our economic and social development. It is a central part indeed of the development discourse in the Caribbean, and this Caribbean discourse development is as active and intellectually stimulating as it had been all along, given the nature of the Caribbean. We know that modernity as we know it today really began in the context of the Caribbean, at the centre of the Atlantic economy. We know that post-Columbus, this Caribbean world was

networked and articulated with Europe providing the management, finance , Vice Chancellor, Chancellor, Vice , – and capital, Africa providing the labour, the Americas providing the resources and the Caribbean resided at the centre of the first economic transformation,

resilience and sustainability. UWI

Beckles • We know the Caribbean had, as far as we are concerned the last 500 years, we have been at the centre of most of the major developments. However, what has not been taken into consideration, is how the Caribbean continues to be a REMARKS REMARKS metaphor and symbol of global development, despite its challenge even in this

• 21st Century. It is impossible to understand the challenges facing our Caribbean world, unless you historicize those challenges and unless you understand the relationship of the Caribbean to the wider world. The Caribbean was the centre of the greatest extraction of wealth in the rise of modernity. The Caribbean was conceptualized, framed and developed as a place of economic exploitation. The Caribbean was artificially created, unlike many other parts of the world, as a zone for subordination and wealth exploitation. It was not expected that nations would ever emerge from this

Professor Sir Hilary Sir Professor place. It was hard to imagine that after 400 years that independent sovereign

• nations could emerge out of a place that was the brunt of a brutal form of global exploitation. We all know of the impact of chattel slavery and the role that it was asked to play. Over 15 million Africans and close to half a million Asians which were mostly of India, brought into this region to provide labour for global wealth accumulation. What we are dealing with today are the legacies of this history. The legacies at this

moment are best explained in terms of the Inter-action of what we , Vice Chancellor, Chancellor, Vice , – call the Triple C Challenge facing this region. The Triple C: Climate Change, Chronic Disease, COVID-19 and how these pandemics and disasters of nature have impacted upon a place of the world that was

UWI historically created with extreme vulnerability. The Caribbean world Beckles was not meant to be sustainable for nations, but after centuries of

REMARKS REMARKS exploitation this region stood its ground. The people survived the

• holocaust of the Indigenous People and of Slavery, and the deception of indentureship. The people created democratic nations, committed to economic development, human rights and the finest values of the human imagination out of this history. This is the Caribbean, rich in intellectual thought. High profile in terms of the specifics of human governance, civil rights and human rights, but

Professor Sir Hilary Sir Professor built upon economic structures that have not been able to transition

into sustainability against the background of this history. • We celebrate the Caribbean people for their courage, commitment and cultural resilience. However, it has not been enough. This region sought to move away from the colonial scaffolding of centuries and seek to undo in a few decades the damage done in a few centuries. It has also sought to build nations that are sustainable, to commit to that effort through political engagement and social upliftment and to show

resolve in so doing, the headwind was always going to be forceful. , Vice Chancellor, Chancellor, Vice , – When we speak of headwinds, we speak of hurricanes. This is a zone that is prone to these disasters. The majority of people, because of inequality, have been forced to live in environments that could not

withstand the ravages of nature, because of poverty resulting from UWI Beckles colonization. Large numbers of persons live in watercourses, gullies, the slopes of hills and mountains, and with heavy rainfall and strong

REMARKS REMARKS winds. • Half of the people of this region are vulnerable because of circumstances of history, poverty and the housing stock which has not been appropriate for a 21st century civilization. The houses were designed in the colonial and plantation periods; houses made of wood, houses made lacking strong architectural design, and the combination of ill designed structures not meant to be sustainable, in environments Professor Sir Hilary Sir Professor that are not meant to be supportive of those structures; It is a cocktail • of disaster for the poor, working class, which makes up the majority. The UNDP has consistently shown that the Caribbean, because of its colonial history, is one of the most unequal places on this planet, in terms of society, economy, wealth distribution and access to all of the development resources. Thus, the power of hurricanes, climate change, rising sea levels, the destruction of out communities built around the ocean, the marine line, the coral reef, the destruction of our survival

ecosystem around fisheries and marine life. Hurricanes are becoming more , Vice Chancellor, Chancellor, Vice , – ferocious and frequent. The Caribbean people are holding on for dear life within the context of this combination of hurricanes and climate change

interacting. UWI Beckles One must also consider the explosion of chronic diseases upon a formally colonized people, mostly devoid of scientific and social education. When

REMARKS REMARKS these islands became independent from Britain mostly, and Europe in

• general in the 1960s, the vast majority of the people were functionally illiterate, without the means to become dynamic and effective citizens. With the increase of chronic diseases, we are seeing how the nation’s history is impacting upon the capacity of the people to understand and to respond to the science. The proliferation of hypertension and type 2 diabetes is a function of lifestyle, but not contemporary lifestyle. The

history is deep and exposes the vulnerability of poor people to chronic Professor Sir Hilary Sir Professor diseases. The poverty of the region and the significance of that poverty • was historically created. Now we have COVID-19, which has entered the Caribbean and has torn the roof off of our nations. It has revealed the deepest vulnerability as a result of entrenched, hardened, resilient poverty. We have seen how this region in its magnificence is fighting against COVID- 19. Academia and Governments are working together to effectively manage the impact of COVID-19. Again, because of constant

inequality, the Caribbean has not received the accolades and respect , Vice Chancellor, Chancellor, Vice , – due for the region’s effective management of COVID-19, compared to the rest of the hemisphere and the world. Lack of sustainability has to do with information. When the people pull themselves up and do well

and are not given the respect for what they have done, it creates a UWI Beckles continuous cycle of negation.

REMARKS REMARKS To the north, we have the COVID-19 disaster. To the south, we see the

• evidence of it. Here in the Caribbean small nations are applying the science to the public management and are doing a pretty commendable job. However, their efforts are not celebrated, and the truth is that on a global scale, the Caribbean should be the one part of the world that is celebrated for its effective management of COVID-19. But we do not hear that in the global mass media, because the

Caribbean continues to be a place that is seen as never in the Professor Sir Hilary Sir Professor

foreground of human development. • This entrapment in the cycle of climate change, the existential threat to these Caribbean nations, along with that the pandemic of chronic diseases and now the pandemic of COVID-19 is all a part of development. It is not enough to isolate these issues separately and treat them singularly. They are all connected by the forces of history and the reality of development discourse today. If one is

treated, the other is left outside of the focus. These issues must be , Vice Chancellor, Chancellor, Vice , – treated collectively and seen as part of a central threat to a young Caribbean world nation, emerging out of a history that has not

been just or fair. UWI Beckles The Caribbean has asked for the European nations to have a summit about reparatory justice. In each instance the

REMARKS REMARKS Governments of the Caribbean did appeal for a Development

• Support. The region never had the plan that it has a right to. Indeed, when the Europeans were given independence to the Asian countries, they created what was called the Colombo Plan, because the European nations met at a place called Colombo Ceylon at the time, Sri Lanka today. Here, they worked out the Colombo Plan that laid the foundation for the economic transformation and the economic sustainability of the Asian colonies; all of those countries

Professor Sir Hilary Sir Professor that were colonies have today moved on to experience economic

• development and transformation. The Caribbean was denied the Colombo plan, an opportunity of investments to be made to make this region resilient, and to lay the foundation for economic growth. Eric Williams, in 1962 when after he was rejected by Britain for a Caribbean Development Plan, said “they see us as an orange. They have sucked us dry, thrown the peel onto the ground and their greatest fear today is that they will slip on the peel and hurt themselves, but they care little for the region that they have sucked dry.”

That must never be forgotten, neither should we forget the fact that , Vice Chancellor, Chancellor, Vice , – resilience requires reparatory justice. There can be no sustainable resilience in this region without a reparatory justice approach to the climate change issues, to the chronic disease issues, to the management of

inequality that has been revealed again by COVID-19. UWI Beckles I hope that all of these discourses can be recognized and pulled together; the forces of history, the need for historicizing of the economic

REMARKS REMARKS development, why we have not been able to achieve that transformation,

• why it is that in this hemisphere we have the lowest enrollment in higher education in the entire hemisphere. These are all because of that history that has resisted research and higher education because the colonial legacy has been so penetrating. All of these things are connected, because without that revolution and that access to higher education, how will you manage resilience and the science to confront all of the big challenges that you are faced with?

The Caribbean has been unfaired and continues to be unfaired. It is my Professor Sir Hilary Sir Professor hope that this Vice- Chancellors Forum will connect all of the linkages and • help us to emerge with a theory of how to build resilience and sustainability into these societies. Caribbean countries boast captivating beauty, rich endowments of biodiversity, melting pots of cultures, energy and vivacity. There are similarities and differences, but one common thread is the high vulnerability to frequent and costly natural disasters, exacerbated by the impacts of climate change.

The IMF states that the economic cost of disasters in the Caribbean, between 1950 and 2016, exceeded US$22 billion, compared with Denise Antonio, UNDP UNDP Antonio, Denise US$58 billion for similar disasters globally. This does not include

Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and Dorian in 2019. Damage and Mrs

- losses of in The Bahamas was estimated at US$2.5 billion (1% of GDP). For some countries, the damage well exceeds the

Resident Representative Representative Resident size of the economy: in 2017 is estimated to have cost Dominica 225 percent of its GDP. These natural disasters impact lives and livelihoods, stunt and often erase development progress,

and trap people in cycles of poverty and vulnerability, leaving them REMARKS REMARKS

only more exposed to future disasters. • This morning, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that the region will continue to be impacted by climate change and experience its effects in varied forms such as increased frequency to natural disasters. We also see the unprecedented and disproportionate impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic. The good news is, that these challenges provide us with opportunities to adapt to and mitigate risks. It allows us to be creative, innovative and collaborative for solutions and coping mechanisms.

Although Caribbean countries have been collectively improving

Denise Antonio, UNDP UNDP Antonio, Denise disaster/crisis preparedness and response, there is still much to be done. For example, the build back better approach, although

Mrs critical, is not sufficiently integrated throughout development

- planning. Resident Representative Representative Resident UNDP supports countries in its recovery and resilience building and emphasizes the human and social aspects of recovery by partnering with national governments, NGOs, civil society groups,

REMARKS REMARKS academia, private sector and communities • UNDP also recognizes that a major part of recovery and resilience is capturing the wealth of diverse experiences, innovative, adaptive and build back better approaches, assessments, expertise and policy measures taken. Simply, the sharing of knowledge, lessons learned and best practices in post-disaster recovery enables countries to adopt, adapt and invent measures to fast-track recovery. An important part of this recovery also hinges on the establishment of a regional roster of expertise that can be deployed to support the region’s response and recovery efforts. Post-disaster recovery planning means restoring and digitalizing our economies, making infrastructure resilient, enhancing our social

Denise Antonio, UNDP UNDP Antonio, Denise protection systems, facilitating and enabling paradigm shifts in policy and development planning, and on a human level, it means ensuring that

Mrs every person in our respective countries and communities have the know- - how, capacity and resources to rebound stronger after a disaster or

pandemic. Resident Representative Representative Resident I congratulate the University of the West Indies and partners for organizing this important event and hope this is the start of many such fora for sharing our knowledge and experiences. Knowledge sharing and

REMARKS REMARKS innovative solutions are the hallmark towards Resilient Recovery. I wish

• you a productive, informative and engaging knowledge sharing event. Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you. • The organizations involved in organizing this VC Forum are to be commended for recognizing the importance of formulating the Resilient Recovery Plan. It is my pleasure to participate in this forum, engage in conversations with my regional peers and share previous experiences on the behalf of The Bahamas, and develop a more resilient Bahamas. It also offers the opportunity for the regional states to assist each other. • In 2019, September 1st through 3rd, Hurricane Dorian swept across the Grand Bahamas Islands and Abaco, resulting in lives lost, as well as loss of homes, corporate buildings, businesses and loss of important

Lewis, Minister, Lewis, Minister, infrastructure. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) estimated damage costs to be US $3.1 billion, including US $2.5 billion resulting

from damage to buildings. Iram

• Thus, it is important to build a resilient region, and it must be a

collaborative effort. We must also look beyond national or regional Hon.

Reconstruction Reconstruction waters, as their resources may be insufficient. -

• In closing, The Bahamas has accepted the offer proposed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of the West Indies, as well as their services in the development of the Resilient Recovery Framework, to be facilitated through the newly established

Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction REMARKS REMARKS

Disaster Disaster Preparedness, and Management which I have the privilege and honour of heading. Moreover, I will delve

• later in the forum into “Mainstreaming and Setting the Stage for Resilient Recovery: Overcoming the Implementation Challenges”, referring to the experiences in The Bahamas. CASES STUDIES ON LESSONS LEARNED FROM POST-DISASTER RECOVERY

Recovery Lessons 2008 and After

The COVID-19 Recovery Lens

Supporting National Recovery Efforts: The Regional Lens Recovery Lessons 2008 and After

Dr. Virginia Clerveaux Director, DDME Turks and Caicos Islands Devastation caused by the impact of Hurricane Ike in 2008 marked a watershed point for recovery planning in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI).

A watershed moment, because in over 25 years, prior to Hurricane Ike, no major storms made landfall or caused major damage in the TCI. As such, the extensive hurricane impact-free hiatus resulted in a high level of complacency at all levels of society.

In that regard, the devastation brought by the impact of Hurricane Ike was a proverbial wake up call for the nation, and marred the beginning of a commitment to comprehensive and sustainable recovery planning, with a strong emphasis on resilience capacity development. • It only takes one storm to erode all financial gains accrued over the years in terms of both GDP and GNP. Key • Anticipate disruption in communication services, possibly for extended periods of time. lessons • Anticipate possibly being cut off from the other islands, seeing as TCI is a multi-island learned destination. • Designated recovery personnel are essential overtime to the recovery of operations. However, critical staff may be personally affected and therefore unavailable to undertake their included: disaster-related functions. In light of these possibilities, it is therefore important to build redundancy into emergency planning. • Also, some emergencies, for example the COVID-19 pandemic, can result in significant disruptions in the supply chain, Key which makes emergency management supplies unattainable. lessons • The recovery planning process has been shaped by increased agility in the alignment of disaster resilient initiatives in the TCI, learned with the CDM Strategy and Framework that is being spearheaded by CDEMA. overtime • Alignment facilitated by National Investment Commitments related to included: financial structuring and non-structuring measures for resilience capacity building with budget commitments in our location. • Facilitating crosscutting institutional development, through investments in improving capacity of the Department of Disaster Management and related emergency Key management entities, as well as improving operational capacities of these entities, lessons through the drafting and passing of disaster management legislation, developing policies, plans and procedures to guide preparedness, learned response and the recovery process. • Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships, by overtime providing these critical agencies, such as the utility and telecommunication companies with included: a seat at the table during the mitigation and preparedness phase, thus increasing their buy- in which resulted in faster response time, as well as early recovery. Prior to the watershed moment and recovery planning in 2008, a loose framework with emphasis on While these issues that have shaped emergency response, relief and recovery planning are not changing, government-spearheaded recovery they are evolving in the face of new was the act of the day. Since this and emerging challenges, and by so time, based on the level of doing, they are addressing the devastation experience and lessons resilience demand of the TCI. learned, we have transitioned into a more proactive framework, for emergency management.

We have moved away from the point where recovery planning and resilience development was seen as a The UNDRR advocacy that disaster purview of the national government risk reduction is everybody’s business to a point where, based on the has been instrumental in framing the UNDRR advocacy it is seen as evolving framework for recovery comprehensive, inclusive, public and planning and resilience capacity private sector partnership, as well as building in the TCI. communities, all participating in the decision-making process. We have embraced a top-down, bottom-up approach. • Further investment or commitment of resources for resilience capacity building at especially the While the community and institutional levels • Further strengthening of Public-Private Sector benefits of Partnerships, for example: this was evident in the success that the TCI achieved in response to this new Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Due to this partnership, the government was able to remove framework bureaucratic red tapes, which resulted in faster access to resources, relaxed immigration policies are which allowed recruitment of skillsets which might not have been available locally, exemption indisputabl, of customs import duties, which helped to jumpstart the reconstruction phase, etc. This their collectively led to a faster recovery process. • Engagement with Caribbean Regional Partners, sustainabilit such as The UWI, can continue to address research needs that can enhance dynamism in y is hinged resilience planning. upon: • This engagement with partners such as The UWI can also provide an opportunity for enhanced knowledge transfer from extra regional institutions, such as those that are engaged in collaborative arrangements with The UWI. Mr. Richard Carter The COVID-19 COVID-19 Czar Barbados Recovery Lens Presentation Objectives

Apply a COVID-19 lens to the challenge of post-Disaster Recovery Planning in the context of the Caribbean using the example of Barbados.

Take the less-travelled road of the social impacts of COVID-19 and the challenge of delivering an articulated programme of social protection as a central feature of post-Disaster Recovery Planning.

Argue that much of the ground-work for whatever success Barbados has had in delivering a programme of social protection in the COVID-19 environment was laid in the preceding decades through its approach to governance and social policy formulation Barbados came to the challenge of the socio- economic dislocation caused by COVID-19 with a number of advantages

One of the most robust and comprehensive social protection systems anywhere in this hemisphere (and probably in the world outside of Nordic countries);

A history of political stability and a strong tradition of democratic governance with institutions and systems that work;

Strong, decisive political leadership without the distraction of political survivalism that has hamstrung and paralysed much of policy-making in the world;

A culture, identify and ethos grounded in a national motto (Pride and Industry) that perhaps more than anywhere else in the region actually characterizes the essence of its people and lived experience. • initiated its planning process for the COVID- 19 response in January 2020 even before the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation on 30 January 2020. You cannot effectively • established the Health Emergency plan for a Operations Centre (HEOC) on 26 January to crisis in the develop and coordinate the public health middle of a response to COVID-19; stood up the crisis – Augmented National Security Council Lessons Barbados’ planning for (ANASEC) as a mechanism for consultation COVID-19 across the public and private sectors, labour started very and civil society on 09 March Learned early. The • developed a National Pandemic Government of Barbados Preparedness Plan (NPPP) for COVID-19 Response that was approved by the Cabinet in early March 2020 but key elements of which - particularly with respect to public health preparedness, were under implementation from the establishment of the HEOC in January. • Both slower-onset events such as COVID-19 and rapid-onset events such as hurricanes or earthquakes require a pre-established, easily mobilized shock-responsive social A sound, protection system if SIDS like the regionally Caribbean are to avoid the distress, articulated suffering and exacerbation of the Shock- original consequences of the event for Responsive the most vulnerable. (And I will Social demonstrate that Barbados had many Protection of the elements of this pre-COVID). System is a Lessons sine qua • A critical related lesson of COVID-19 non for an has been the need for portability of Learned effective social protection in the CARICOM response to sub-region as we have seen large the social numbers of non-national residents of dislocation varying immigration status, stuck for caused by months without being able to access disasters transportation to return home or such as being able to access local social COVID-19 protection systems. The issues of human trafficking, undocumented migration and weak articulation of social protection systems have been brought forcibly and tragically to the fore by COVID-19. The maintenance of social order; generation and maintenance of civil compliance with emergency directives; and the promotion of mutual supportiveness must be actively cultivated and promoted – as these are critical elements of resilient recovery A key factor in the response to COVID-19 in Barbados has been the fact that deliberate and consistent attention was given to the building Lessons of trust, taking the country into the confidence of its leadership and ensuring that the Learned response took average citizen along on the journey. This allowed tough, restrictive measures to be more easily tolerated, challenges and dislocation to be more easily borne, an environment of security to prevail where public health policy could be more effectively implemented, and the generation of an ethos of “we are in this together” that was a central feature of the disciplined response in Barbados. The mobilization of national consensus in the context of Barbados was much easier due to: • ex-ante investment in a social partnership that brings together labour, capital and government • Barbados’ model of a Social Partnership Agreement has gained recognition by governments and development agencies, regionally and internationally. This is particularly significant as it demonstrates how effective leadership among different stakeholders in society can enhance economic and social development, especially in Lessons times of crises. Learned • cross-political engagement in formulating policy responses to the crisis (this also is not new as it was popularized by former Prime Minister Owen Arthur two decades ago under the rubric of The Politics of Inclusion). • During this COVID-19 response, PM Mottley has reached across the political divide to: (1) invite the major political parties to adopt a policy position of national unity in support of the COVID-19 response; (2) invite former Ministers of Finance (including from the Opposition Democratic Labour Party) to join the government in fashioning a response to the economic dislocation caused by COVID-19. Even with all of these features (Barbados’ advantages) bold, innovative and creative policy-making is required in the context of an extensive and internationalized crisis like COVID-19 • Engagement with the commercial banks to (i) remove monthly bank charges for senior citizens; (ii) establish a 6- month moratorium on mortgages for people losing their jobs or whose businesses are directly impacted by COVID-19; • Accelerating the processing and delivery of unemployment insurance benefits – as of last week 59,000 claims for unemployment insurance processed and $65 million paid out since COVID; • Introduction of supplemental payouts to workers insured Lessons under the National Insurance Scheme who have been placed on short-weeks (60% of earnings for those days not being Learned paid by employers; • Introduction of a business interruption benefit payout for paid-up self-employed workers whose business activity was interrupted due to COVID-19 (even though self-employed not covered by unemployment insurance); • Monthly cash-transfer payment to vulnerable families with 4+ children under the age of 21 in a household; • Household Survival programme with three components: (i) 40% increase in benefits paid by the Welfare Department; (ii) Vulnerable Households Programme offering $600 per month to 1,500 most vulnerable families; (iii) Barbados Adopt our Families programme. The Barbados Optional Savings Scheme (BOSS Programme) developed to provide the fiscal Examples of space for the government to relevance to embark on a range of physical the social development projects to generate protection economic activity and space but employment; more directly related to The Barbados Welcome Stamp, jump-starting developed to attract long-stay “visitors” to live and work in economic Barbados in support of re-vitalising activity: the tourism sector and generating broader economic activity. Supporting National Recovery Efforts: The Regional Lens

Presented by Elizabeth Riley Executive Director (ag), CDEMA Vice Chancellor’s Forum: Caribbean Experience on Recovery Planning Online Forum PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

❖ CDEMA

❖ Recovery Context

❖ Resilience Framework

❖ Vision – Caribbean Resilient Recovery Facility (CRRF)

❖ Considerations and Opportunities Mobilizing and Mitigating coordinating consequences of disaster relief disasters

Encouraging Providing disaster loss comprehensive reduction and information on cooperative disasters arrangements and mechanisms

Establishment enhancement and maintenance of adequate emergency disaster response capabilities among the Participating States RECOVERY CONTEXT

Multiple Actors; Diverse hazards; Hazard trends; multiple initiatives; diverse recovery Increased need for considerations recovery actions little cohesion

Early recovery Reactive; diverse Governance; Who …long term recovery approaches leads? THE CDM STRATEGY 2014-2024

Regional Goal: Safer more resilient and sustainable Caribbean States

Institutional Knowledge Management Sector Integration Community Resilience Strengthening

Strategic Disaster Risk Management Standards for safe communities DM Organizations (national and Programming for Priority Sectors developed and applied regional) Strengthened for Supporting Regional Network for Risk Informed and monitoring the advancement of Decision Making DRM Hazard Information integrated into Community Based Disaster development planning and Management Capacity CDM Integrated into policy, strategy, Integrated System for fact based programming for priority sectors built/strengthened legislation decision making at all levels Incentive programs developed and applied for the promotion of risk Community EWS integrated, improved Incorporation of Community and reduction/CCA in infrastructure and expanded Development Partner Programming Sector Knowledge in Risk investment aligned Assessments

Community Livelihoods safeguarded Strengthened Coordination for Education and Training materials, preparedness, response and recovery standardized, improved and applied

Adequate resourcing of CDM Programming Climate Information Communication Environmental DisasterGender loss reductionChange and developmentTechnology of a culture of safety Sustainability RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK RECOVERY TIMELINE - SNAPSHOTS

2014 Model 2000 Model National 2018 Resilience 2017 Recovery Plan Recovery Framework Framework VISION Caribbean Resilient Recovery Facility (CRRF)

Predictable access Regional Resilience Leadership to critical skills sets

Standards, Tools Multiple hazards Governance – CDM and Resources CHC CONSIDERATIONS & OPPORTUNITIES

❖ EnGender Project – Mar 2019 – Feb 2023 ❖ Mid-term review of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy 2014-2024 ❖ Consensus on approach to post disaster assessment ❖ COVID-19 ❖ Lessons and Learning ❖ Monitoring and Evaluation THANK YOU Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director (ag), CDEMA [email protected] LESSONS LEARNED: REVISITING INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND MECHANISMS FOR RECOVERY

2020-2030 Climate Resilience and Recovery Plan: From Concept to Action

Economic Imperatives for Recovery

Mainstreaming and Setting the Stage for Resilient Recovery: Overcoming the Implementation Challenges CARRIBEAN EXPERIENCES ON RECOVERY PLANNING ONLINE FORUM BEYOND LESSONS LEARNED FROM POST-DISASTER RECOVERY: THE CARIBBEAN NARRATIVE July 27, 2020

GLORIA JOSEPH

PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, INVESTMENT, PLANNING, RESILIENCE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND BROADCASTING INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

Thanks to the University of the West Indies on the opportunity to present on the 2020-2030 Climate Resilience and Recovery Plan: From Concept to Action. The growing impact of climate change on human settlements, lives and livelihoods, economies and the environment, has impressed the critical need for climate resilience planning and implementation of actions. 1. CONTEXT TO THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY PLAN

• Hurricane Maria devastated Dominica in September of 2017 • The equivalent of 226% of GDP • More than 60 lives lost • 93% of housing damaged or destroyed CONTEXT TO THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY PLAN

• Hurricane Maria followed Tropical Storm Erica which occurred in August of 2015. • The equivalent of 93% of GDP destroyed • 20 lives lost • Two (2) communities devastated CONTEXT TO THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY PLAN

• The Country had found itself in a very difficult situation having to rebuild people, economy and country on a whole. It was a critical time for rebuilding/rehabilitation but also for reflection and action (praxis). • On September 23, 2017, the Honorable Prime Minister declared to the world at the United Nations General Assembly the vision to rebuild Dominica as the first climate resilient nation in the world. 2. FORMATION OF CLIMATE RESILIENCE EXECUTION AGENCY FOR DOMINICA (CREAD)

• Recognized that the magnitude of rehabilitation and recovery was beyond the capacity of existing institutional capacity. • While existing institutions could be strengthened, there was a need for a high-level organization, staffed with highly trained professionals with varied skills-sets who could help in expediting the rehabilitation and recovery process and engage in knowledge transfer. FORMATION OF CLIMATE RESILIENCE EXECUTION AGENCY FOR DOMINICA (CREAD)

• CREAD was created by an Act of Parliament in December 2018. The process was supported by the Governments of the UK and Canada through technical and financial assistance. The Governments of the UK and Canada continue to fund CREAD operations. • CREAD was set up outside of the Civil Service structure to allow for greater autonomy and authority. It is staffed with high level trained individuals recruited on a competitive basis. 3. THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY PLAN (CRRP) 2020-2030

• The CRRP was developed by CREAD in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Planning, Resilience, Sustainable Development,Telecommunication and Broadcasting. • The CRRP brings into action the National Resilience Development Strategy ( NRDS) 2018-2030 which sets out the overall policy framework of the Government of Dominica towards the country’s journey to resiliency. 3. THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY PLAN (CRRP) 2020-2030

The CRRP is build on three (3) pillars articulated in the NRDS 2018-2030:- • Climate Resilient Systems • Prudent Disaster Risk Management Systems • Effective Disaster Response and Recovery SIX (6) KEY RESULTS AREAS

1. Strong Communities 2. Robust Economy 3. Well-planned and Durable Infrastructure 4. Enhanced Collective Consciousness 5. Strengthened Institutional Systems 6. Protected and Sustainably Leveraged Natural and other Unique Assets TEN (10) CRITICAL HIGH IMPACT CLIMATE RESILIENCE INITIATIVES

1. Enhanced Social Safety-Net Initiative 2. Community Emergency Readiness Initiative 3. Resilient Housing Scheme Initiative 4. Koudmen Domnik Initiative 5. Resilient Dominica Physical Plan Initiative TEN (10) CRITICAL HIGH IMPACT CLIMATE RESILIENCE INITIATIVES

6. Innovative Insurance Solutions Initiative 7. Dominica as a Global Centre for Agricultural Resilience 8. Revised Public Sector Investment Program (PSIP) Allocation Methodology and Enhanced Public Sector Performance Management Framework 9. Centre of Excellence for Data in Resilience Decision making 10. ResilienSEA Triple Bottom Line Blue Economy Investment Fund OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

➢The CRRP carries a budget of XCD$8.2- 9.8 billions into 2030. ➢ Implementation responsibility is shared between Public Service Line Ministries and CREAD ➢ CREAD’s two (2) year Action Plan and Line Ministries’ Strategic Plans were all derived from the CRRP and informed the National Budget of 2020/2021 ➢The CRRP aims to impact planning at the levels of the private sector, civil society and academia PLANNING – IMPLEMENTING – MONITORING – EVALUATING – REPORTING 2020 - 2030

PLAN PLAN National PLAN Resilience Climate Development Resilience and PLAN Strategy 2018 Climate Recovery Plan - 2030 Resilience 2020 - 2030 Annual Execution Sectoral Work Agency of Programmes Dominica Work Plan - Ministerial 2020-2020 - Unit - Individual

COVID-19: Building Comprehensive Resilience

Justin Ram [email protected] www.gsec.com Agenda

1. Our challenges and vulnerabilities

1. What isrequired for building resilience

1. How do we finance resilience building We knew what our Development Challenges were before COVID-19 and these challenges arepersistent

Cross-cutting Challenges Implementation Gap Regional Approach Gap Leading to unacceptable vulnerability – our cost/Frequency Distribution “Bell Curve” is negative - skewed to the right Multi-dimensional vulnerability in the Caribbean To build resilience: We need to step back in order to jump better

Macroeconomic Productivity & Competitiveness

Economic growth anddiversification Private sector-ledgrowth Strong/ resilient financial sector Opening newtrade markets

Prudent fiscal management Regional paymentsfacility (Fintech) First class andcost-effective infrastructure

Human Development Sustainable Environmental Preparedness Society

Good quality education for all Strict building codecompliance Workforce skills training basedon CCRIF, indemnity insurance, resiliencyfunds employers’ needs Environmental tools

Conditional cash transfers to themost Climate change adaptation tools vulnerable Microcredit for recoverylending

Regional Integration Gender Equality Statistics Digitalisation Implementation In the wake of COVID-19 we can no longer focus only on competitiveness

For there to be sustained inclusive growth, there must be a strong Competitiveness, equal Opportunity and climate change resilience

Drawing on the work of Eric Protzer at Harvard:

● We need to twin strong backing for equal opportunity with the means to turn that opportunity into tangible rewards

● This aligns with Sir Arthur’s core belief that economics is the study of the conditions under which people live!

Policy Implications:

1. Strong state backing for the public goods that lead to equal opportunity

2. Policies that promote dynamic competitiveeconomies 3. Paris alignedinterventions * Turning equal opportunity into tangible rewards and inclusivewell- being that is Paris agreementaligned

Paris agreement aligned

Competitive Equal Sustainable Economy Opportunity Society

Prosperity, Resilience andInclusion But current Financial architecture of discounting makes this difficult

1 1 Resilience needs innovative finance But the traditional financing architecture must change – we must democratize finance

● Finance currently penalizes vulnerability via high interestrates

● We discount the future heavily, so this goes against the type of finance that we need

● We need finance that recognizes that resilience building is costly at first but bring tremendous long-term rewards and avoided costs

● We therefore need finance that is inexpensive upfront but has an opportunity to share in the long-term rewards of resilience building

● That encourages citizens to invest and provides an opportunity for them to have an equity stake. Financing resilience does not require debt, but rather equityinvestment. RISE – Resilience Impact Securities with Equity – Returns on investment increase as resilience improves Democratizing Resilience Finance: Through micro- bonds/equity, and doing this digitally is an imperative

Investor transactions on Smart Device Assets

Secure Digital Issuance and Trading Platform Purchase bonds

Digital Bonds Issuance, Trading Bonds and Coupon Payments

Convert into Equity KYC/ Issuance Trading AML/CFT and and Analytics conversion Payments Equity

Conversion to Digital Equities, Trading and Dividend Payments How to avoid Culture eating Resilience Building for breakfast

8 steps to delivery 1 Cabinet prioritization

2 Planning Labs We can leverage the Delivery Unit 3 OpenDay model to design and strengthenour institutions and regulations to encourage competitiveness and 4 Roadmap guarantee equal opportunity forall

5 KPI Targets

6 Implementation

7 External Audit

8 Annual Report

Source: PEMANDU

Mainstreaming and Setting the Stage for Resilient Recovery: Overcoming the Implementation Challenges Minister Iram Lewis, Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction – Bahamas • Due to its location in the Atlantic Basin, The Bahamas is constantly at risk during the hurricane season each year. • Though The Islands have experienced catastrophic hurricanes for many years, a significant increase in their occurrence and gravity has been noticed since 2015. • Notable hurricanes which caused seemingly irreparable damage to many islands across the archipelago: Joaquin (2015), Matthew (2016), Irma (2017). • September 2019 saw the emergence of Hurricane Dorian, a category 5 disaster which decimated the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco. • Estimated economic damages are approximately US $3.1 Billion, of which US $2.5 Billion is building damages. • The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Ministry of Public Works and/or the Ministry of housing were all responsible for previous reconstruction efforts, being responsible for the public infrastructure. • This new Ministry was created to explicitly focus on the recovery and rebuilding of Grand Bahama Subsequent to and Abaco. Hurricane Dorian’s • The NEMA, was assigned to the MDPMR, along passing, The Ministry of with the newly created Disaster Reconstruction Disaster Preparedness, Authority (DRA) in a collaborative effort. Management and Reconstruction • The Government of Bahamas created (MDPMR) was created, reconstruction programmes focused on six areas of which Hon. Iram in order to tackle Post-Disaster Recovery: Lewis is the serving ❖Infrastructure – “Every Building Built Back Better” minister ❖Education – “Every Child Back in School” ❖Environment ❖Housing ❖Health; and ❖Economy Through these continued disasters, the need for an overhaul of the The MDPMR’s portfolio now accounts recovery framework to include policy, for the need for resilient recovery strategy and a plan was established. infrastructure, spanning all aspects of Thus, a sustainable Resilient the Disaster Risk Management Cycle. Recovery Framework is to be created within the MDPMR.

The UWI and the UNDP have united to create the Bahamas Resilient Recovery Policy, which references the The roles of the NEMA and the newly After-Action Reports of Hurricane established DRA are now connected. Dorian and highlights key lessons learned from previous recovery initiatives, namely those of Hurricanes Irma and Maria (2017).

The intent of this framework is to ensure that recovery planning operations are well informed, sustainable, efficient, timely, facilitate development and outline the necessary arrangements for delivery. It is the MDPMR’s role to oversee this framework and its planning. The motto One must note that the Resilient of the MDPMR is “Building Back Better”, Recovery Development is an effort which and the framework allows for this to be must include the entirety of The put into action, allowing for resilient Bahamas’ Government as well as the recovery and development, as well as relevant private sector, civil society and allowing for the provision of guidance on international organizations. the key aspects that need to be developed in the recovery plan.

By creating a specialized Ministry to The Draft Resilient Recovery Framework manage the Comprehensive Disaster has been compiled and is currently being Management Cycle, The Bahamas has assessed by all sectors in The Bahamas created an unprecedented standard for for relevant feedback. disaster preparedness and management. The NEMA’s 2019 After-Action Review is available to assess how the disaster Clear mandates must be established in management system helped to deal with order for the MDPMR and the DRA to Hurricane Dorian before, during and after press forward to avoid duplicating its passing. This then indicated that the functions or depriving other ministries, previous Disaster Management System departments or agencies. needed to be redrafted.

Though great strides to rebuild the communities in Grand Bahama and Abaco One challenge highlighted is the need to subsequent to Hurricane Dorian’s address the needs of areas affected by devastation, there is still a long way to go. Dorian while establishing arrangements This effort has been stunted by the and staffing for the DRA and the MDPMR. unexpected emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special attention is to be placed on the fact that the creation of a functioning Resilient Recovery Plan is continuous.