More than 80 representatives from the public and private sectors gathered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines recently for a disaster preparedness workshop hosted by Tropical Shipping, aimed at strengthening resilience and improving responses to natural hazards.
The one-day workshop, held at Sandals Saint Vincent on May 20 under the theme “Without Resilience, One Big Wave Can Change Everything”, brought together government agencies, businesses, emergency responders and community organizations to examine practical strategies for disaster management.
Participants were challenged to develop solutions that would help communities and businesses better prepare for and recover from hurricanes, severe rainfall events, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and potential tsunamis.
Opening remarks were delivered by Tropical Shipping Island Manager Cedric McIntyre, while Regional Manager Gerard Bergasse encouraged participants to focus on identifying effective mitigation measures and recovery strategies.
Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday addressed the gathering before a series of presentations from disaster management and industry experts, including National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) Director Michelle Forbes, Chamber of Industry and Commerce Executive Director Anthony Regisford, SVG Meteorological Services Manager Billy Jeffers, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association CEO Vanessa Ledesma, and representatives from Tropical Shipping.
During his presentation, Jeffers cautioned that while current forecasts suggest a less active hurricane season, any storms that do develop could still be powerful systems similar to Hurricanes Beryl and Melissa.
Regisford stressed that preparedness must become a core business strategy rather than an afterthought.
“Building a culture of preparedness is no longer an option. It is the foundation of our survival,” he said, urging businesses to strengthen data backups, cross-train staff, secure critical inventory and establish reliable communications plans.
Participants later divided into working groups to identify key vulnerabilities facing businesses and communities, explore communication frameworks for disaster response and recovery, and discuss legislative measures to combat cybercrime and fraudulent online fundraising following disasters.
The workshop concluded with a renewed call for stronger partnerships between the public and private sectors to improve national resilience.
Closing the event, Tropical Shipping Vice President Andre Gibson highlighted the importance of collaboration, while organisers described the workshop as part of a wider regional initiative to promote disaster readiness across the Caribbean.
“We cannot stop the next wave, but when it comes it must meet us as a unit – Prepared, Partnered and Powerful,” Regisford said.