Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Climate Resilience Executing Agency of Dominica (CREAD), Pepukaye Bardouille, is of the view that CREAD, by itself, cannot make resilience happen.
She made that remark while addressing the annual Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC) Eggs & Issues Breakfast held at the Prevo Cinemall on Wednesday.
The main focus of the event was CREAD’s work plan and its perspective on the importance of the private sector.
CREAD is expected to play an important role in Dominica’s fight against climate change and its mission will be to coordinate all reconstruction work to avoid duplication, maximize economies of scale, spot and fill critical gaps and ensure all reconstruction activities are focused on a single climate resilient recovery plan for Dominica.
“The reality is that CREAD cannot make resilience happen,” Bardouille said. “Resilience happens when people decide that they want to take charge and do what they can to protect themselves.”
Bardouille, who was the keynote speaker, believes that it is important for people to educate themselves, empower themselves and to give themselves a decent quality of life.
“To be the first climate resilient country in the world, start by communicating on what the effects are of climate change,” she noted.
She stated further that one of the approaches CREAD is taking is to implement flagships.
Bardouille explained that a flagship is an idea that is a little out of the box which involves multiple stakeholders, that probably requires public and private participation certainly in terms of financing, and which “has a national owner in Dominica, be it in the ministry, or a private sector player, or a foundation.”
“There are flagships around us that shows that we can bring together different stakeholders across different sectors…,” she pointed out.
Bardouille went on to say that an adaptive infrastructure is needed, “and here we are suggesting that roads, bridges, ports, water sanitation all of that need to be as resilient as possible.”
She mentioned that there are ways to make infrastructure adaptive.
“We can look at water, not necessarily having water pipes in the same way but having water stored. So, that doesn’t mean that it is resilient in any possible catastrophe but it is adaptive,” she explained.
The CREAD CEO said no country has a perfectly functioning system of government.
“Public institutions in Dominica need to be strengthened from a basic perspective,” Bardouille stated.
She continued, “We cannot tell you right now how many people do not have a house, we cannot tell you right now how many people houses are not resilient or not even safe to live in, we cannot tell you right now how many people who are unemployed…”
Bardouille underscored the importance of data and a decision-making protocol to deal with that data to achieving the goal of climate resilience for a country.
Policies and legislation, she said, need to be up-to-date and appropriate, “appropriate to Dominica and not St Lucia, and they also need to be implementable.”
She cited the need for solid plans for the country in such areas as processing, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, “basic things like project management and enforcement.”
The DAIC’s Eggs & Issues Breakfast is a platform for improving the knowledge of Dominica’s private sector and partners on relevant topics for an improved business environment.
Dominica already has the necessary institutions such as the architect board, engineers board, medical board etc which should be responsible for the licensing of professionals who impact on the built environment what is needed is the proper functioning of these institutions along with the implementation of other institutions such as planning division, the procurement division and others. Cread is not going to prevent the Ministers from giving who they want a project contract whether they’re qualified or not, society will only develop when the organs of society function like they’re intended to!
I can’t understand that no background of the newly-appointmented CEO of CREAD did not make it in this article.
to mitigate climate change related disasters . Advise on proper waste and garbage disposal and pollutants and submit recommendations for legislation for compliance.
I am sure international technical and financial assistance will be made available on request. We cannot have all the answers and need lots of help on the issues involved. Remember tech help and advise is free. Local volunteerism is also free.
“No country has a perfect system of government” . What does have to do with CREED duties. No mention is made of the Parliamentary Act which produced CREED. In talking about the lack of statistical data from the census bureau does not mention that a census is taken every ten years and one is due next year just in time for CREED to participate.
So what is CREED work plan. How does it ‘PLAN’ to create an national awareness of climate resilience ? Are there going to be consultations, seminars, meetings, town hall, media shows ( tv, radio, internet) Are there going to be extension officers working with students, local governments and civil organisations and the police ? Nationals will not be involved if they are not convinced or motivated or made aware.
Are there going to be annual reports to be laid on the table in Parliament ? We need to know if we are going to give credence to CREED. CREED have 5 years to execute the provisions of the Act.
Actions to mitigate the…
Where are the architect board, the engineers board, The people who regulate the built environment, if these institutions are not functioning how will some foreigners come here and effect the culture. People don’t understand that we have professionals but the industry has no regulation or structure so how will cread effect the culture? Will this result in a real procurement process which should be transparent and fair? Allowing for locals to build their capacity! Here any and everybody is an architect engineer or contractor! What about the health department fire department bureau of standards etc and their roles in the built environment? Cread in my opinion is a waste of resources since we know exactly what need to be done. Things can’t change when a minister could call dictating who should be aware a project contract.
Blatant display of hypocrisy by educated people with no vision using big words.
The first step to resiliency is using renewable resources you already have.
Few suggestions:
(Best contemplated while listening to (Midnight Groovers – bring back the milk & honey)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGcbaLxyjAM
1. Venue should be only locally furnished. Tables and chairs made from tree trunks that were strewn all over the island after Hurricane Maria. (Did we burn all so we could import metal chairs and tables?)
2. Dishes and food bowls should be calabash. The calabash is reusable, microwaveable, biodegradable and locally unique. (Not classy enough?)
Actions speak louder than words. Simply thinking outside the box is limiting. Newsflash: There is no box.
CREAD should form a political party. After listening to this lady, i firmly believe she knows what Dominica needs in order to truly be a vibrant, economically viable, and and an attractive nation. The governement in the meantime is just playing games with peoples resources and livelihoods. Worse when one group of citizens (churches) influence them to take stances that are not supported by the rest of the country.
Mr. Burnette, i encourage you to seek them out and have discussions with them. Especially about Antrim. they are located in the yard where Tao restaurant used to be. you would be pleased with their forward thinkingness. However, our culture here in Dominica would be the biggest deterrent. We have a “way of doing things”, which is very very evident in our current infrastructure.
This discussion should start at the ground level where the results will manifest.
All stakeholders and beneficiaries should be the people on the ground to execute the Ideas and plans.
The ordinary man or woman on the ground is concerned about the waste coming from local restaurant is let out in drains in the city in the public view of even visitors and tourists.
I remember when I was young there were standpipe all around….I think they better served the fire department…..we want it back.
I’m just a little man on the ground.
You echo my sentiments exactly. A policy is better implemented when the people have buy in and adopt the policy as their own. Like having people stop eating at the bus stops and dropping the container, be it recyclable or not, on the side walk. There is also a saying “what gets measured gets done”. Hopefully there are parameters in place to measure the progress being made towards making Dominica a climate resilient nation. All the talk about ‘stakeholders’ participation will not achieve the stated goal of making Dominica a climate resilient nation.
The more times I read Ms Bardouville’s remarks the more I am confused.
Mr. Burnette, i encourage you to seek them out and have discussions with them. Especially about Antrim. they are located in the yard where Tao restaurant used to be. you would be pleased with their forward thinkingness. However, our culture here in Dominica would be the biggest deterrent. We have a “way of doing things”, which is very very evident in our current infrastructure.
Remember Roger has been around a while, they have heard from him with his forward thinking ideas but as you stated they/we have a “way of doing things”. Our little way or nothing attitude.
Thank you Karl,
I will touch base with them, or better still, I invite them to touch base with me – my number is in the telephone directory.
In terms of Antrim, as an engineer with experience in land stabilization, I suggested a solution to the Min. of Public Works years ago. It is simple, low cost, and could be implemented within a couple of weeks. As yet, I have not received a response. In the meantime, we continue to make a critical situation worse.
All talk, ” CREAD”. The prime minister is talking about resilience but he giving me 28 gauge galvanized but asking people to use 24 gauge. Talk and more talk.
the 28 guage is stuff they had brought in , maybe through the chinese, they are stuck with it and cannot get rid of it. so they want to give it away.
….And it continues: I believe that this message is deliberatey targeted at failed politically incompetent PM. Read: “We can look at water, not necessarily having water pipes in the same way but having water stored, so that doesn’t mean that it is resilient in any possible catastrophe but it is adaptive,” she explained.
She said no country has a perfectly functioning system of government.
“Public institutions in Dominica needs to be strengthen from a basic perspective,” Bardouille stated. These statement are accurate and telling and we have tried within th government system to advocate these Messages. Skerrit is ony in beff talk that he takes to parliament and makes a mockery of himself attempting to get at our Hon Linton and his UWP professionals. Skerrit is limited and is unable to lead himself muchless for his outdated Labour failed Cabinet.
“CREAD alone cannot make resilience happen says CREAD CEO” Dominicans please kick Skerrit out, he is blind to socio-economic…
If you can’t tell some of the basic things like how many people do not have a house,etc,etc,it speaks volumes to the level of incompetence of DLP..Were they just sharing building materials to catch a vote,and never recorded anything??OMG what a mess Dominica is in!
I am so elated that you saw the need to strengthen public institutions…All our public institutions are dysfunctional,and that’s deliberate ..
Finally ask any DLP parl rep what is meant by the term resilience,and you will be shocked by their response,even JI the crook their guru will struggle to answer.
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now
she spoke about the lack of a census briefly
DAHHH! All school children in England know that !
Agriculture and industries has always been and will always be the way to sustainable development.
I guess this will cause citizens to be independent so they won’t promote the good methods.
Dominicans and those Blind Skerrit boom boom Flies, please take note. This is the voice of a professional, a profession that Skerrit cannot match and unable to elevate himself to that level of educational decency.
“The reality is that CREAD cannot make resilience happen,” she said. “Resilience happen when people decide that they want to take charge and do what they can to protect themselves.”
Dominicans, please read carefully and comprehend the implications of this madness under Skerrit that our Dominica has not and will never be part of that level of developmental growth under this failed inept PM and his worthless 18 ministers. Dominicans, read this and tell me why this is said: “She pointed out that the country need plans that are solid.”, and further says:“We need processing, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, basic things like project management and enforcement,” Bardouille said. People, you read the language of this professional. Skerrit not part of this intellectual…