The National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) has begun a far-reaching disaster management audit aimed at assessing Antigua and Barbuda’s readiness to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate major emergencies.

NODS Director Sherrod James says the review is a crucial part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to refine its multi-year work programme.

The audit will help determine where the country currently stands in its disaster risk management capabilities and what additional actions or resources are required to strengthen national resilience.

To execute the initiative, NODS is partnering with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). Working alongside the University of the West Indies (UWI), CDEMA has appointed a local consultant to help design and deploy a specialized audit tool.

This tool consists of a structured questionnaire distributed to key national stakeholders, whose responses will form an objective, comprehensive snapshot of the country’s disaster management landscape.

All collected data will be compiled into a central database, creating a standardized reference point for tracking progress over the years.

James notes that this systematic approach will highlight gaps, diagnose ongoing challenges, and reveal emerging issues that must be addressed to improve operations.

The findings will ultimately guide NODS in strengthening its national disaster programme—ensuring that Antigua and Barbuda is better equipped, more resilient, and more responsive to the increasing threats posed by natural and human-induced hazards.