As the government works towards improving climate resilience in Trinidad and Tobago, Minister of Public Utilities, Barry Padarath, is calling for closer and more effective working relationships between various stakeholders charged with the responsibility of weather forecasting and disaster preparedness.
The Minister made the call as the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Services (TTMS), in collaboration with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) and the Ministry of Public Utilities, hosted their 18th National Climate Outlook Forum on Wednesday.
He appealed to all stakeholders for their support in ensuring that organisations, Ministries, and their representatives work together to effectively address challenges faced by citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
Minister Padarath acknowledged that while funding poses a significant challenge, he has also observed a lack of will and urgency.
“While I understand that there will be limitations from time to time, there is a certain degree of responsiveness that is needed in terms of immediacy in terms of how you treat with these matters, and Parliamentary Secretary Sam can tell you from firsthand experience the difference with which rural communities are treated compared to urban communities and constituencies in Trinidad and Tobago, and that has to change.”
According to Acting Director of the Met Services Arlene Aaron-Morrison, the National Climate Outlook Forum is aimed at enhancing stakeholder engagement and their improved use of climate information toward policy planning.
“The projected increase in frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation will increase local flooding, which could cause significant disruptions, infrastructural damage, and economic losses.”
Chief Executive Officer of the ODPM, Retired Major General Rodney Smart, emphasised the importance of disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation in Trinidad and Tobago. Due to the lack of public knowledge, he highlighted the ODPM’s current increased information drive.
“If you saw the news last night on one station, we would have urged citizens to start protecting their valuable documents, waterproofing them, and on another station, we were inviting them to join the public alert notification system.”