Disasters, Conflicts and Migration
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Natural Disasters |
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|---|---|---|
|
Type |
Occurs |
Comments / Details |
|
Drought |
No |
Dry spells at the beginning of the year necessitate water rationing. However, these dry spells have become more frequent and prolonged due to climate change, reduced rainfall and increased temperatures. |
|
Earthquakes |
Yes |
Experts estimate that the Caribbean region will experience at least one magnitude 6 earthquake every 3 to 5 years. SVG is in an earthquake zone where earthquakes could reach level VII on the Mercalli intensity scale with a return period of 50 years. This would imply damage to some structures and various signs of movement.1 The last earthquake in SVG was in 2023 and struck 24 km (15 mi) southeast of the country, with a magnitude of 3.40 on the richter scale and a depth of 10.0 km.2 |
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Epidemics |
No |
|
|
Extreme Temperatures |
Yes |
|
|
Flooding |
Yes |
|
|
Insect Infestation |
Yes |
Over the years there has been citrus insect infestation due to transboundary pests. |
|
Mudslides |
No |
There are no mudslides but the country experiences landslides |
|
Volcanic Eruptions |
Yes |
La Soufrière, also known as Soufrière Saint Vincent, is an active volcano on the island of Saint Vincent in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is the highest peak on the island and has experienced several eruptions since 1718, with significant eruptions occurring in 1812, 1902, and 1979. The most recent eruptive activity began on December 27, 2020, with the slow extrusion of a lava dome, and it culminated in a series of explosive events between April 9 and April 22, 2021.3 |
|
High Waves / Surges |
Yes |
High waves/surge poses a high risk due to the geographic location of SVG, coastal infrastructure and the likelihood of causing coastal erosion and flooding. These could lead to the loss of infrastructure, property damage, loss of agricultural lands and potential loss of lives. |
|
Wildfires |
No |
No wildfires but bushfires |
|
High Winds |
Yes |
|
|
Other Comments |
The country is at risk to natural hazards like landslides, bushfires, storms, coastal flooding, Tsunamis and hurricanes. The island group is in the southern portion of the Atlantic Hurricane belt. |
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Man-Made Issues |
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Civil Strife |
No |
|
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International Conflict |
No |
|
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Internally Displaced Persons |
No |
However, during emergencies, some of the population is temporarily displaced due to emergency relocation. During the last Volcano, approximately 22,000 people were displaced and 88 shelters activated.3 |
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Refugees Present |
No |
|
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Landmines / UXO Present |
No |
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Other Comments |
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Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities
Seasonal Effects on Transport
|
Transport Type |
Time Frame |
Comments / Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Primary Road Transport |
June - November |
Higher rainfall could lead to potential flooding of roads. The northern windward areas are more prone to flooding during heavy rainfall. |
|
Secondary Road Transport |
June - November |
|
|
Rail Transport |
N/A |
|
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Air Transport |
June - November |
Volcanic eruptions and storms affect the airspace, leading to flight disruptions and cancellations due to adverse weather conditions. |
|
Waterway Transport |
June -November |
Sea surges and hurricanes pose safety risks for maritime vessels and passengers. This could also cause delays in the arrival of cargo ships. |
During the rainy season, typically from June to November, the region experiences higher rainfall, leading to potential flooding and road closures. In recent years, with climate change, the rains begin as early as May and continue till December. In mountainous areas, heavy rains can cause landslides, erosion, and washouts, disrupting the road networks and making some routes impassable. Adverse weather conditions like storms, hurricanes and sea surges can affect air and water transport respectively.
Seasonal Effects on Storage and Handling
|
Activity Type |
Time Frame |
Comments / Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Storage |
Hazard related |
The only seasonal impact on storage is climate related. During emergencies like the Volcano, there is limited warehousing space. |
Vincentians take advantage of holiday sales abroad and the duty-free concessions during the Christmas season to import items and ship Christmas barrels, leading to congested ports with barrels from overseas. The port warehouses cannot sufficiently cater to the cargo influx, and the authorities utilise open spaces and the geest sheds for storage.
Climate-related events, such as volcanic eruptions, have been reported to affect storage availability due to the large influx of relief cargo.
Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response
GOVERNMENT
The National Emergency and Disaster Management Act of 2006 is the primary law governing disaster management and relief coordination. It establishes the key organizations responsible for emergency operations and comprehensive disaster management.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadine, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) is the lead agency for emergencies. In pre-emergency times, NEMO actively engages in emergency preparedness activities such as sensitization, risk assessments, training and exercises for emergency responders, planning and preparedness.
The Prime Minister-led National Emergency Council is primarily responsible for Disaster Management. It includes Ministers from various government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and other groups with specialized knowledge.
The National Emergency Executive Committee (NEEC), chaired by the Director of NEMO, oversees the activities of the national sub-committees with specific responsibilities. The sub-committees consist of representatives from ministries and other key stakeholders. The NEEC also supervises the policies and plans of the National Executive Committee. 4
During emergencies, the NEMO secretariat coordinates the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) which is comprised of ten national subcommittees such as emergency supplies, health services, shelters and shelter management, search and rescue among others.
The NEOC is where experts from different professions provide technical support and advice for disaster response and recovery. It is the main headquarters for all disaster-related activities and establishes additional Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) if needed. These EOCs are managed by public officers, Ministries, Government Departments, agencies, and organizations required by law to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters in the State.
During emergencies, NEMO is the consignee for all relief items coming into St. Vincent and the Grenadines. NEMO then coordinates the transfer of these supplies to the respective subcommittees responsible for the distribution based on their respective thematic areas.
Thirteen (13) district disaster committees manage disasters at the local level, along with various community disaster groups and organizations.
Figure 1: National Emergency Management Organistion4
The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) is a regional inter-governmental agency that oversees disaster management in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CDEMA is responsible for coordinating the regional response mechanism (RRM) to address the negative socio-economic and environmental impacts of both natural and man-made hazards in the region. There is a a political agreement among the CARICOM countries to support each other through mutual aid in the event of a disaster. Each country is primarily responsible for initiating, organising, coordinating, and implementing humanitarian assistance to help victims of emergencies in its territory.
The severity of the hazard and the type of assistance required by the affected state determine CDEMA's involvement. There are three tiers of the regional response.5
Tier 1: These events are managed locally without external assistance. No RRM activation is needed, but CDEMA Coordination Unit (CU) monitors and shares information with partners and other Participating States.
Tier 2: Though the national response capacity is not overwhelmed, these events require external assistance. CDEMA CU may offer technical assistance, specialized equipment, support personnel, and information sharing.
Tier 3: These events overwhelm the state's capacity to respond. The RRM is activated, and regional operations support the national response. International aid may be needed.
The CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit (CDRU) provides humanitarian support to the participating states.
The Netherlands, British and Venezuela military support the regional response mechanism on request.
For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: HQ staff will input a link to section 4.1 Government Contact List here.
HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY
The Caribbean Development Partners Group for Disaster Management (CDPG-DM) is a subregional coordination platform for preparedness and response to disaster coordinating bodies in the Caribbean. The CDPG-DM facilitates the coordination of external emergency assistance to the countries in the sub-region following a significant natural or technological hazard. It promotes information sharing and facilitates strategic decision-making among donors and development partners serving Barbados and the other Caribbean States. The United Nations Resident Coordinator of the impacted area and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Executive Director chair the platform.
As part of preparedness activities, especially with notifications of upcoming weather-related hazards like hurricanes, the platform meets regularly with the agencies of the soon-to-be-impacted areas in attendance. The team conducts risk assessments and draws up contingency plans. Also, based on the risk level, the United Nations Emergency Technical Team (UNETT) is activated to prepare an action plan for the United Nations.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, most Non-Governmental Organizations offer one-off support during emergencies. During the La Soufrière volcano, UN agencies provided technical assistance and support to the government in conducting multisectoral assessments, providing safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) supplies, social protection, personal protective equipment (PPEs), logistics and shelter emergency support functions, cash voucher assistance, environmental cleaning.
In the post-emergency phase, the UN agencies continue to work closely with the Government agencies on recovery and long-term developmental programmes like recovery, ashes clean up, environmental health, agriculture, WASH, social protection, resilience building, disaster risk financing and anticipatory action, and livelihoods among other activities.
The SVG Red Cross Society is a prescribed member of the NEC and the NEEC. The Red Cross sits on the damage and needs assessment, emergency supplies, health services and voluntary services sub-committees. The Red Cross supports the SVG national mechanism in the following areas: initial damage assessment, shelter, first aid, search and rescue, relief and disaster response.
The National Disaster Plan requires all external response agencies to submit a work plan to the National Disaster Coordinator for approval and to adhere to the government's relief and distribution policies. Additionally, all external relief agencies must obtain government approval before arriving in the country.6
For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: HQ staff will input a link to section 4.2 Humanitarian Agency Contact List here.
Sources
1 https://dipecholac.net/docs/files/789-cd-svg.pdf
2https://database.earth/earthquakes/saint-vincent-and-the-grenadines
3https://uwiseismic.com/volcanoes/caribbean-volcanoes/
5RRM_Booklet_Final_PDF_version.pdf (cdema.org)
6 https://nemo.gov.vc/nemo/images/PoliciesActsAndBills/NationalDisasterPlan.pdf
