Guyana’s role in the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) was discussed when President Donald Ramotar and Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon met yesterday with the agency’s Executive Director, Ronald Jackson at the Presidential Complex.
After the meeting, Jackson told GINA that it was his first opportunity to meet with Guyana’s president and he used the occasion to discuss the comprehensive Caribbean Disaster Management Strategy. He said that this was a 10-year plan to achieve disaster risk resilience in the region.
“I also shared with the president the main priorities of Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency for the next three years and how those priorities are likely to support the people of Guyana and their programme for disaster risk management”, Jackson said.
Jackson said that the two also spoke about CDEMA’s management since it is an instrument of the 18-member states of Caricom.
Guyana’s Civil Defence Commission (CDC) was described by Jackson as one of the region’s “bright performers”, particularly over the last three years, GINA said.
Jackson said that Caricom has to accept that, especially in the areas of climate variability and climate change, that “the region is still going to have to be responding to adverse effects of disaster events, not here in Guyana, but supporting the regional response”.
The CDEMA head will meet with Caricom and CDC officials during his two- day visit to Guyana, GINA said.
