Antigua and Barbuda hosts workshop on multi-hazard early warning.

Antigua and Barbuda have taken a significant step towards strengthening their disaster preparedness infrastructure with the hosting of the second National Consultative Workshop on Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) at the prestigious St. James’s Club.

This pivotal gathering was a follow-up to the inaugural workshop held in December, where participants teamed up to conduct a comprehensive Gap Analysis.

The event brought together stakeholders from various sectors that are critical to the nation’s economy, underscoring the importance of the initiative.

The workshop was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Transformation, the Antigua and Barbuda Met Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Department of the Environment, the Chamber of Commerce, and Antigua Barbuda Fire Service, among others.

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the National Office for Disaster Services (NODS) facilitated the workshop, which marked the second installment under the Early Warnings 4 ALL (EW4ALL) Initiative.

EW4ALL, an initiative championed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, aims to provide all nations with robust Early Warning Systems (EWS) by 2027.

EWS is an integrated system that includes hazard monitoring, forecasting, risk assessment, communication, and preparedness activities.

These systems empower individuals, communities, governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to take timely action to mitigate disaster risks before hazardous events occur.

The technical consultant for UNDRR, Mali Barnes, emphasized the workshop’s primary objective: to unveil an implementation plan and roadmap delineating Antigua and Barbuda’s strategy to achieve comprehensive MHEWS coverage by 2027.

Director of NODS, Sherrod James, expressed gratitude for the unwavering support from local stakeholders and expressed eagerness to translate the deliberated activities into tangible outcomes.

Programme Manager for the Caribbean at UNDRR, Dr. Jair Torres, commended Antigua and Barbuda’s proactive stance towards disaster risk reduction.

Highlighting the country’s pivotal role within the EW4ALL initiative, Dr. Torres underscored its inclusion alongside Barbados, Haiti, Guyana, and Suriname as Caribbean trailblazers under the initiative’s ambit.

The workshop was supported by regional and international partners such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), among others.

The event symbolized a collaborative effort towards building resilience and safeguarding the future of Antigua and Barbuda.

As the world focuses on the essential task of fortifying disaster preparedness and resilience, Antigua and Barbuda’s steadfast commitment serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for nations worldwide.