Improving Crisis Emergency Risk Communication in Surinam Sarjan

Improving Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication in Surinam Sarjan Mathoerapersad Moses Deveaux Rochelle Christopher Delwin Ferguson

Introduction This Strategic plan seeks to: u Improving Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication in Surinam u u Major Disasters - Flooding (May 2006) Other common disaster u Man Made (MVA. Explosions etc) u Air Accident (1989) u

Background of the problems Flooding. Survey showing v Rural remote areas v Poor communications v Length of time to receive communications v Not accessible to everyone v Language barriers-approx. 6 diff. languages v Apathy

Background of the problems Flooding. Survey Shows v Little or no schooling v Poverty v Low lying houses/riverbank houses

Surinam Northern coast of South America, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the North, Guyana to the West, French Guiana to the East and Brazil to the South.

Surinam is a land of enormous cultural diversity u One of the few spots in the world where the tropical rainforest still completely virginal. u

Surinam Population = 436, 494 Hindustani = 37 % Creole (Black) = 31 % Japanese = 15 % Amerindian = 2 % Chinese = 2 % White = 1 % Other = 2 %

Surinam u Weather and Climate in Surinam Tropical humid climate with dry and rainy seasons. a. The short rainy season in Dec-Jan. b. Long rainy season from April -July. c. Long Dry season Aug – Nov d. Dry season Feb – April

Survey - State of readiness What do they have v Newspapers once a week – remote areas v Telecommunications v Tourism trade in the jungle v Cell phones in the tourism trade place v Generators at night v Central dispatch in the city v Emergency services in the city

Survey - State of readiness What do they have (cont) v Malaria – DOH vaccinate tourist & residents v 80%effective communication

Means of communication radio u Television u Cell phones u Internet u People u News media u Pamphlets u Town hall meetings u

Means of communication Conferences u Workshops u Schools u Meetings – clubs, agencies u Churches u Library u Drum messages u Blackberry u Sat. phones u Whistle u SMS u Ham messages u Runner u Flags u Morse Code u

Current tools for Risk Communication. Accessibility v Central dispatch – 80% v Telephone – 80% v Radio – 80% v Television – 80% v Internet – 70% v Schools – 80% v News media – 100%

Current tools for Risk Communication Accessibility cont’d Library – 70% Drum messages – 20% Agency meetings – 70% Conferences/workshops – 70%

VISION 100% OF THE POPULATION OF SURINAM WILL HAVE ACCESS TO A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION IN REGARDS TO CRISIS/EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS

MISSION TO ENSURE THAT THE RESIDENTS OF SURINAM’S REMOTE AREAS HAVE A MEANS OF ACCESS TO COMMUNICATION IN REGARDS TO CRISIS/EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION BY MARCH 2008.

Goal u To improve Emergency Communication systems in Surinam within the next five years.

Objectives To install community flood warning systems in rural communities. u To train members of the communities to manually monitor the flood warning system. u To install an automatic flood warning system u To ensure a redundancy system is installed u To implement long term measures to improve means of communication. u

Risk Assessment The pre-requisite to any Early Warning System you must do a risk analysis/assessment. Based on a simple analysis of rainfall levels, the system lets local communities be on guard against flood hazards without requiring fancy technology or expensive telecommunications.

Early Warning System Water level measurements installed at strategic location in each village u Each warning level will be colour coded u Each observer will be supplied with a Govt. funded cell phone u Warning sirens will be mounted for villagers u Automatic alarm for monitoring station u

Warning system Audio Pre-warning – short beeps Warning – long beeps followed by pause Visual Pre-warning – water at orange level Warning – water at red level

Warning system Telecommunication Pre-warning – call observers on cell phone Warning – call observers on cell phone - call Water Management Dept. Physical Pre-warning – village to village visitation using megaphone by community volunteers Warning – Door to door visitation by community volunteers

Plan of Action Training Ministry of works staff/volunteers/community members Financing u Department of Finance – secure funding Health Education u Department of Health – health education u DOE/DOH – Public Awareness programs

Implementation Secure funding from Finance to purchase equipment and training supplies u Poll the villages for the volunteer observers u Submit project out to tenders. u Secure the experts (consultants) to train the staff how to monitor the system (inhouse) u Secure company to install monitoring system u

Implementation u Secure training stations for the villagers u Install the system to be ready for action when training is completed.

Indicators Mar– June 2007 Receive Funds from Finance Ministry. u Aug – Sept 2007 Commence training of Village personnel. u Aug – Sept 2007 Commence training of the MOW & WRA. u Nov 2007 Install project in designated area. (Pre test Dec – Jan). u March 2008 Completion & Handover to Village u

Preventative Maintenance Basic preventative maintenance program for all equipment u Regular upgrade in equipment (budgeted) u Yearly upgrade or update in training u Maintain a current register of the village observers u Continue working relationship/Partnership with Govt/ NGOs & Stakeholders u

Budget Equipment: US$ 10, 000 u Installation: 175 x $ 2, 500 = US$ 437, 500 u Wall meters: 175 x $ 25 = US$ 43, 750 u Incidentals: US$ 10, 000 u Training: US$ 10, 000 u Total: US$ 511, 250 u ( 175 = villages flooded)

Challenges u Allocation and distribution of govt. funds u Cost of maintaining the system u Threats of violence in maintaining the system u Security u Sustainability of community involvement

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