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As the Government works to make Barbados a more resilient nation, a key priority on the disaster risk reduction agenda is the deliberate effort to improve the national Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS).
Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams says this is critical to the disaster management process.
He was speaking during the inaugural meeting of the MHEWS Management Advisory Council (TMAC).
The Minister says weather systems are more frequent, intense and sometimes develop much faster.
Using Hurricane Beryl as an example, he says that system went from a tropical depression to a hurricane in approximately 42 hours, and from a tropical storm to a major hurricane in under 24 hours.
Minister Abrahams says MHEWS will provide a multi-discipline approach in providing the science for understanding and monitoring diverse threats.
He commends the Barbados Meteorological Services and the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology for their efforts.
However, he says the missing piece of the puzzle is the ability to get warnings and information out to those who are required to make informed decisions as quickly as possible.
The United Nations Agency for International Development Policy and Regulatory Reform for Resillience (PROSE) Chief of Party Marianela Guzman says this system represents a major step forward on the road to enhancing resilience in Barbados.
PROSE has committed to assisting Barbados with the activation and implementation of the recently approved MHEWS policies.
