A national training workshop to strengthen the capacity in data collection Post- Disaster and how it’s being analyzed began in Dominica on Monday.
The workshop which runs from the 18th-21st June, is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Participating countries include Dominica, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis and Antigua & Barbuda.
“Our training is to try to determine how to calculate the damage and loss after a disaster, how to determine what information do we need to collect, how we can store this information and use this information and also at the end write reports that are going to inform policymakers, donors on how best to assist the recovery of our country in the aftermath of a disaster,” FAO Representative, Daniele Barelli said while speaking at the opening ceremony held at the Prevost Cinemall.
According to him, this particular project is part of a larger project that FAO have started implementing in Dominica called, Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Disaster Risk and Response to information system management and needs assessment.
“This is one output of the project which is to train staff from the ministry, other stakeholders on Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, but also we have added two outputs which are looking into doing a diagnosis report on information systems in the country,” Barelli explained.
He continued, “We would like to do a report which explains and tell us where we are in terms of information system management in Dominica at present. What type of information are we collecting? How this information are stored?”
In this regard, he said the FAO is also looking at the monitoring of several indicators and the Sendai Framework and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), “which by the way Dominica signatory of.”
He described Dominica as a blessed island and urged citizens to continue to do a lot of work.
“It is my pleasure to see the greenest and the flourish back of nature in this island,” he stated. “I saw the island from no leaves to no trees from now greenest taking over again and I think it is a blessed island and we need to really continue to do a lot of work.”
Meantime, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries, Dr. Reginald Thomas said for Dominica the training in terms of Post-Disaster Needs Assessment is critical.
“I stressed the point back then, but again to stress the point of data collection,” he said. “From the ministry, it is a critical function that we need to put in place and to have it locked down [for use of a colloquial term] so as to ensure that if there is any event that we are able to do the necessary work in the shortest possible time.”
Dr Thomas added, “We at the ministry are looking to train and have the necessary personnel to assist the people who come on board.”
He thanked the FAO for coming on board at this very important time as the Hurricane season commenced.
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