The Government is working with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) to strengthen the country’s national multi-hazard early warning system, a crucial step as Trinidad and Tobago continues to face periodic exposure to natural hazards such as earthquakes, coastal storms, flooding, and land slips.
Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen says these hazards mean that a National Multi-Hazard Early Warning System would be a lifeline for the country.
“The government will, in our next steps, continue to push forward with finalising the national MHEWS policy, expanding the public alert notification system, strengthening linkages between ODPM, TEMA, in Tobago, Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, and various scientific agencies.”
Minister Ameen notes that the government will work to make the system community-centred.
“We will be training more Community Emergency Response Team volunteers nationwide. We will be ensuring that early warnings are accessible, they are inclusive, and they are multilingual. We will be securing sustainable financing for long-term resilience.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Homeland Security, Dr. Simone Titus, described what they expect the system to look like.
“Our vision for Trinidad and Tobago is the operationalisation of a fully integrated, multi-hazard early warning system across various Ministries and Agencies but functioning as one seamless, data-driven and community-centred unit.”
Minister Ameen and Dr. Titus gave their remarks at the opening ceremony of a forum to discuss and implement the national early warning system.