CDEMA conducts virtual 12th meeting of CDM CHC

Caribbean: The Coordinating Unit of CDEMA recently conducted the 12th meeting of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Coordination and Harmonization Council - CDM CHC, which is funded by the Targeted Support to CDEMA Project.

Elizabeth Riley - Executive Director of CDEMA, noted that the first meeting of the CDM CHC was hosted in 2007 to change the implementation of CDM to a multi-stakeholder process.

The virtual meet was joined by the nine regional institutions, seven development partners and representatives for two sub-regional focal points.

Riley cited that "We are here because resilience building through the CDM continues to be a multi-stakeholder agenda."

The Executive Director further, while addressing the attendees, asserted, "We as partners had recognized via consultative CDM process that building resilience needed the mainstreaming of CDM at the sector level, the definition of CDM spaces for technical agencies & the institutionalization of CDM within the agenda of development partners."

Following the statement, the Executive Director added that CDEMA saw numerous changes over the past years, which also includes the expansion of the participating states and the expansion of sectors that focused on resilience, including the Private Sector, Energy & Water.

She then informed that despite this, the conditions of the Disaster Management cycle, under CDM, have also got expanded.

"CDEMA proceeds to work with the United Nations Development Programme, Global Affairs Canada and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to operationalize a Caribbean Resilient Recovery Facility," Riley added.

The Executive Director noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened the global climate change projections and difficult fiscal situation.

CDM CHC is a significant unit that works with the motive to strengthen regional potential by advancing disaster loss reduction, comprising the development partners, Sector leaders, participating states and the Private Sector.

CDM CHC would also contribute to CDM implementation, provide guidance for CDM knowledge sharing, & assist the achievements of the 2014 - 2024 CDM Strategy.