Flood Preparedness and Response Plan Revised CDC Comments Final Revised Version

7/30/2019 Flood Preparedness and Response Plan Revised CDC Comments Final Revised Version

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Empowered lives.

Resilient nations.

Flood Response and Preparedness

Plan

Civil Defence CommissionGuyana
http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://www.guyanaundersiege.com/Flood/Flood%20gallery/asha%20flood%205.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.guyanaundersiege.com/Flood/Flood%20gallery/asha%20flood%205.html&usg=__owUJn1JkZlNJoQRsEoIgnme7dbU=&h=616&w=816&sz=138&hl=en&start=6&zoom=1&tbnid=xa6M-5TBe6ynOM:&tbnh=109&tbnw=144&ei=XQ-qT6ONO-qL0QGW7tmECw&prev=/search?q=guyana+flood+pictures&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&gbv=2&tbm=isch&um=1&itbs=1http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://www.guyfolkfest.org/images2005/flood050123.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.guyfolkfest.org/2005relief.html&usg=__v53qEjxjsTWclSxp6EjUTcpRDYE=&h=261&w=400&sz=41&hl=en&start=11&zoom=1&tbnid=mqsGpYfR0WPLvM:&tbnh=81&tbnw=124&ei=XQ-qT6ONO-qL0QGW7tmECw&prev=/search?q=guyana+flood+pictures&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&gbv=2&tbm=isch&um=1&itbs=1http://api.ning.com/files/GlokkNAOsMSGB-*QuJUxApOfrDl7GLcvM5suHSfXy*NJ2vZubRVwZFMQVA9AdRlhCIQQ*3pZYW9swj*LLEaIpoWkUJPakcXm/20110606flood9.jpg


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This document Flood Preparedness and ResponsePlan for Guyana has been developed by CivilDefence Commission (CDC), Guyana withtechnical and financial assistance and inassociation with United Nations DevelopmentProgram (UNDP) Guyana under the Disaster Risk

Management Program of UNDP.

It is expected that this document will enable allstakeholders including Central and localgovernment, UN Agencies, Civil SocietyOrganizations, Technical and Private Sectors for acomprehensive Flood Risk Management Initiativein the country.

This Plan will be updated from time to time forbetter flood response and Preparedness in thecountry and it is expected that this plan is adheredand followed by all stakeholders for a better andwell prepared Guyana.


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Table of Contents

I. Table of Amendments 5II. Abbreviations 6III. Message from the Director General CDC 7IV. Message from Director General CDC 8

Chapter: 1 Introduction 9-121.1 Policy Statement 91.2 Aim 91.3 Purpose 91.4 Key Principles 101.5 Scope 101.6 Planning Assumptions 111.7 Ownership, Usage and Regular Updating of the Plan 11

Chapter: 2 Profile of Guyana 13-20

2.1 Background 132.2 Profile of Guyana 132.3 Geography 132.4 Topography 132.5 Population/ Demography 142.6 Languages 152.7 Economy 152.8 Climate 152.9 River System 152.10 Flood Risk in Guyana 16

2.11Causes 172.12 Impacts 182.13 Probability of Flooding 182.14 Sources of Flooding 182.15 Impact of Climate Change 192.16 Flood Facts 20

Chapter: 3 Disaster Management Systems in Guyana 21-223.1 Institutional Framework 213.2 Existing Disaster Management Systems 21

Chapter: 4 Disaster Management Functions 23-324.1 Flood Preparedness 234.2 Early Warning Information Flow 264.3 National Early Warning Structure/mechanism 27

Chapter: 5 Disaster Response Functions 33-53


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5.1 Command and Coordination 335.2 Response Agency Roles and Functions 335.3 National Emergency Operation Centre 385.4 Disaster Response Elements 47

Chapter: 6 Early Recovery Frameworks 54-596.1 Principles of Early Recovery Framework 54

6.2 Objectives 546.3 Early Recovery Process 566.4 Monitoring 576.5 Evaluation 58

Chapter: 7 Flood Mitigation: Approaches and Strategies 60-627.1 Approaches to Flood Mitigation 607.2 Measures for Flood Mitigation 60

Chapter: 8 Flood Safety Measures 63-678.1 Before Flood 638.2 When Flood Warning 638.3 If need to Evacuate 638.4 During Floods 638.5 After Floods 648.6 What to do during flood 64


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TABLE OF AMENDMENTS

National Flood

Preparedness and

Response Plan

Draft Revised Periodic Revisions

February 2010

November

2011

June 2012


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ABBREVIATIONS

CDC: Community Democratic CouncilsCBO: Community Based Organizations

CDM: Comprehensive Disaster Management

CCG: Central Coordination Group

DANA: Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis

EPA: Environmental Protection Agency

FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization

GFC: Guyana Forestry Commission

GDF: Guyana Defence Force

GLSC: Guyana Land and Surveys Commission

ICS: Incident Command System

ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization

MOH: Ministry of Health

MARAD: Maritime Administration Department

MSI: Maritime Safety Information

NFPRP: National Flood Preparedness and Response PlanNDIA: National Drainage and Irrigation Authority

NDC: National Disaster Coordinator

NGO: Non Governmental Organizations

PAHO: Pan American Health Organization

RDC: Regional Democratic Councils

REOC: Regional Emergency Operation Centre

RCC: Rescue Coordination Centre

SOLAS: Safety of Life at Sea

SOP: Standard Operating Procedures

SOE: State of Emergency

SRR: Search and Rescue Region


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MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL DISASTER COORDINATOR


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MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL CDC


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Chapter: 1INTRODUCTION

1.1 POLICY STATEMENT:

The purpose of this plan is to provide strategic guidance in a systematic and sequential manner for

preparing and responding to a flood in a coordinated manner. This plan details the roles and

responsibilities of public and private sector entities and a coordinating mechanism to ensure that all theidentified activities are carried out in a coherent manner. Additionally, the plan describes the response

mechanisms and co-ordination arrangements, and the management of flood response in a

comprehensive manner.

1.2 AIM:The overall aim of the National Flood Preparedness and Response Plan is to ensure systematic,timely management of a situation in an appropriate manner through effective coordination andidentification of the risks and potentially vulnerable population and undertaking necessary

preparedness, response and mitigation measures.

1.3 PURPOSE:The purpose of the National Flood Preparedness and Response Plan (NFPRP) is to enhancethe nations ability to manage all flood-related disasters using a comprehensive disastermanagement approach. It is also to ensure the timely and effective assistance to the affectedin a coordinated manner, ensuring the greatest protection of life, property and health. ThePlan also defines the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of various ministries/agenciesfor coordinated response and flood preparedness.

The NFPRP incorporates all disaster risk management activities from preparedness toresponse. It presents a framework for emergency response at different levels of governmentstructures; identifies the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders; and lays downcoordination mechanism for activities with civil society, the print and electronic media,public and private sector, and brings together a full range of national capabilities to prepareand manage any disaster.

The NFPRP classifies different types of flood hazards, levels of vulnerabilities and theircauses, as well as the structure, functions, and coordination mechanisms of the NationalDisaster Management Structure. The role of CDC and the disaster managementorganizations of the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC) and the related bodies of the CityCouncil, Neighborhood Democratic Councils and the Community Democratic Councils(CDC) are very crucial in the entire process of flood preparedness and response planning.

The various sub plans will focus on Provision of relief Procedure of declaring disaster areas


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Early warning systems, and, Information flow from national to RDC in the case of different hazards. Undertake activities for flood mitigations and better preparedness

The NFPRP also focuses on the concept of EOCs at national, regional and neighborhoodlevel.

1.4 Key Principles of Flood Risk Management:

1. Every flood risk scenario is different and there is no flood management blueprint.2. Designs for flood management must be able to cope with a changing and uncertain

future.3. Rapid urbanization requires the integration of flood risk management into regular

urban planning and governance.4. An integrated strategy requires the use of both structural and non-structural

measures and good metrics for getting the balance right.5. Heavily engineering structural measures can transfer risk upstream and downstream.

6.

It is impossible to entirely eliminate the risk from flooding.7. Many flood management measures have multiple co-benefits over and above their

flood management role.8. It is important to consider the wider social and ecological consequences of flood

management spending.9. Clarity of responsibility for constructing and running flood risk programs is critical.10.Implementing flood risk management measures requires multi-stakeholders

cooperation.11.Continuous communication to raise awareness and reinforce preparedness is utmost

important.

12.

Plan to recover quickly after flooding and use the recovery to build capacity.

1.5 SCOPE:

The scope of the Plan are under:-

The NFPRP classifies natural and manmade flood disasters in three levels in thecountry and corresponding response mechanisms and procedures.

Illustrates structures and mechanisms for providing operational direction to disastermanagement authorities at national, regional and community levels.

Defines emergencies at regional, local and national levels; and, clearly defines theprocess of declaring each level of emergency and response mechanisms andprocedures accordingly.

Recommend mitigation and preparedness measures for substantial reduction of flooddisasters in future.


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1.6 PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS

Following assumptions have been made:- Incidents are managed at the local level and when overwhelmed the regional and

national levels step to assist. Government agencies, private sector, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and

Community Based Organizations (CBOs) will support the overall concept of

Operations of the Plan and will carry out their functional responsibilities. A national disaster results in a large number of casualties and damage to

infrastructure, severely affects population and livelihoods; gives rise to the potentialthreat of disease outbreak; and displaces large numbers of people, triggering thedeclaration of a national disaster in the country.

The nature and scope of disasters can include natural and manmade hazards; Floods can cause the destruction of physical and communication infrastructure, large-

scale casualties and displacement of local communities. The response capacity and resources at regional and community level may become

easily overwhelmed.

In some cases the first responders, e.g., local authorities, communities, and otherresponse structures may be affected by an incident and left unable to perform theirduties.

Disasters can occur at any time or of any scale, with little or no warning in the contextof general or specific threats or hazards.

No single disaster event will completely devastate the country rendering ituninhabitable.

All Government agencies, critical facilities and the private sector would havedeveloped general disaster/emergency and contingency plans. These organizationswill implement preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery activities and

conduct exercises in order to maintain the overall national response capability. There will be regular updating of the plan through mock drills and organizing

periodic review and updating of the same from time to time.

The Plan will be a dynamic and living document and changes and amendments willcontinue, as and when required, to address the emerging needs.

1.7 Ownership, Usage and Regular Updating of the Plan:

The NFPRP is a very important document for substantial reduction of flood risk in the mostvulnerable areas of the country. It needs a strong ownership and follow up for adhering to theresponse functions and also various preparedness aspects from time to time. Thus it is very importantthat CDC owns the plan and a task force is formed with support from RDCs for smoothoperationalisation of the same. It needs to be strongly used not only during the flood period but alsoduring the planning stage for identification and finalization of development projects.

The plan is to be used as follows:a) To guide operational response to flood disasters in Guyana


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b) For the provision of information to the general public before, during and afterdisasters

c) To upgrade and enforce standard operating procedures for variousministries/departments and other stakeholder.

d) For the management of the NEOCe) Help in formulating Flood mitigation strategies for long term development and

sustainability of investments.

The plan also needs to be regularly updated from time to time for making it more user-friendly and also making it more practical and usable by all stakeholders. There need tobe regular simulation exercises involving all relevant stakeholders in order to make theplan more lively and make necessary update from time to time so that it not onlycontributes to reduction of loss of lives and property but also ensure a better integrationof flood risk into the national and regional development planning especially in long termflood mitigation efforts.


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Chapter:2FLOOD RISKS IN GUYANA

2.1 BACKGROUND:

Guyana is situated in the northern Amazon Basin and experiences two rainy seasonsannually. The strongest of these occurs between the months of June and July with the lesserrainy season occurring between December and January. This semi-annual rainy patternprovides the Guyanese with two planting seasons, allowing for two annual harvests of twoof their key export crops, sugar cane and rice. Combined, these crops are responsible forapproximately 27 percent of the nations GDP. In an increasingly competitive internationalmarket, Guyana maintains a firm market position in cane and rice due to these annualweather cycles, particularly in relation to its regional competitors who lack such favorableclimate conditions.

To compensate for high levels of rainfall and the low elevation of the populated regions, thecolonial powers developed an intricate drainage system requiring constant care andmaintenance. Over the past three decades, this network of dams, canals and sluices has falleninto disrepair, straining the system during heavy rain periods. Guyana has beenexperiencing higher than usual rainfall.

2.2 PROFILE OF GUYANA:

2.3 GEOGRAPHY:Location: Northern South America, 10 to 8 NorthLatitude and 56 to 61 West Longitude. It is boundedon the North by the Atlantic Ocean; on the South by

Brazil; on the East by Suriname and on the West byVenezuela and Brazil with total area of 215 000 sq. km.(83 000 sq. mi.).2.4 TOPOGRAPHY:Guyana is divided into four (4) natural regions asfollows:-1. Low coastal plain,2. Hilly sand and clay area,3. Highland region, and4. Interior savannah.

LOW COASTAL PLAIN

HIGHLAND REGION

INTERIOR SAVANNAH

HILLY SAND AND CLAY

KEY


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The low coastal plain extends for some ten (10) miles inland from the Atlantic Sea Shore andis some three (3) to five (5) feet below mean high water level. It is on this narrow coastal stripthat about 90% of the population resides.

2.5 POPULATION/ DEMOGRAPHY

Guyana population is one of mixed heritage, chiefly made up of six peoples Indians,Africans, Portuguese, native Amerindians, Europeans and Chinese. These groups of diversenationality backgrounds have been fused together by a common language, that is, English.

The 2002 Population and Housing Census indicated that the population was 751,223,including 376,034 males (50.1 percent) and 375,189 females (49.9 percent). While the sex ratiois evenly balanced between males and females, there are variations within various agegroups. The life expectancy at birth was 66.43 years (Males: 63.81 years; Females: 69.18years); (2008 est.) The total fertility rate was 2.03 children born per woman (2008 est.)

The largest nationality sub-group is that of East Indians comprising 43.5 percent of thepopulation in 2002. They are followed by persons of African heritage (30.2 percent). Thethird in rank are those of Mixed Heritage (16.7 percent), while the Amerindians are fourthwith 9.2 percent. The smallest groups are the Whites (0.06 percent or 476 persons), thePortuguese (0.20 percent or 1497) and the Chinese (0.19 percent or 1396). A small group (0.01percent or 112 persons) did not identify their race/ethnic background.

Guyanas population is small in relation to its land space with an average population densityof approximately four persons per square kilometre but population density differssignificantly between rural and urban areas. Only 10 percent of the population lives in theinterior and the majority (90 percent) lives on the countrys narrow coastal plain that

occupies a mere 7.5 percent of the countrys total land area. Currently, the mid-yearpopulation at 2007 was estimated by the Census Bureau to be 763,200, with a growth rate of0.3%.The country has been divided into ten (10) administrative regions as follows:-

Region 1 Barima/Waini

Region 2 Pomeroon/Supenaam

Region 3 West Demerara/Essequibo Coast

Region 4 Demerara/Mahaica

Region 5 Mahaica/Berbice

Region 6 East Berbice/Corentyne

Region 7 Cuyuni/Mazaruni

Region 8 Potaro/Siparuni

Region 9 Upper Takatu/Upper Essequibo

Region 10 Upper Demerara/Berbice


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2.6 LANGUAGES:Although the official language is English, there are at least eight different languages spokenthroughout the country. English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Caribbean Hindustani (adialect of Hindi), Urdu

2.7 ECONOMY: (as at 2009) Source: Guyana Bureau of Statistics

Per Capita GDP: US$ 1298.60Per Capita GNP: US$ 1276.6GDP: US$ 999.40 MillionGNP: US$982.50 MillionAnnual Growth: 2.3%Inflation: 3.9%Major Industries: Sugar, bauxite, rice, timber, fishing (shrimp), gold mining, diamondsMajor Trading Partners: US, Canada, UK, Caribbean (especially Trinidad and Tobago)Brazil, China and India.

2.8 CLIMATE:

Tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May toAugust, November to January)

2.9 RIVER SYSTEMS:The Guyana coast comprises the river delta

regions of the principal rivers of Guyana

including the Berbice, Mahaica, Demeraraand Essequibo rivers. The proximity of the

rivers and the volume of sediment depositedannually has created a low coast, often

below sea level, which is constantlyexpanding northward due to the deposition

of riverine sediments. The rich fertile lands

of the delta region, compared with the thinsoils of the tropical jungle to the south,

presented a strong incentive for the colonial

powers to settle the coastal region andinvest in drainage works to access its

agricultural potential. With savannah water,

rich in organics, contained in a conservancysystem, a network of drainage canals forboth conservancy maintenance and

agricultural irrigation was constructed leading to the present intricate system of dams and canals.

Human habitation grew around the agricultural lands and associated transportation centers

concentrating much of the development in a 25 Km band along the Guyanese coast. Due to the low


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and sometimes below sea level elevations of the protected areas, drainage is highly dependent on thetidal state to create the gravity gradient necessary to assure proper water flow.

There are two water conservancies, divided by the Demerara River. The Region 4 conservancy lies on

the eastern side, while the Region 3 Conservancy borders the western side of the river. The combined

water storage capacity of the two conservancies is approximately 250 square miles by roughly 12 feetdeep. The East Demerara Conservancy Dam, located in Region 4, lies between the Demerara and

Mahaica rivers. The total capacity of the conservancy is estimated at roughly 100 billion gallons and

was originally built by Dutch colonists using slave labor in 1818. Drainage from the dam flows north

into the coastal lowlands; along the coast from the village of Mahaicony to Georgetown. Drainage alsopasses into either the Demerara River on the west side of the conservancy or the Mahaica river along

the eastern side of the conservancy. The Crown dam is located at a distance of between 0.5 and 3.0

kilometers in front of the conservancy dam and serves to provide irrigation water to the agriculturalsector. While the dam in generally regarded as failsafe system in the event of a breach in the

conservancy dam, coverage is not continuous and there are numerous breaches in the Crown dam to

promote local irrigation.

2.10 FLOOD RISKS IN GUYANA:

Venezuela

Guyana

Colombia

Brazil

Ireng

RiverLethem

Takatu

River

Rio

Branco

RioNegro

Trans-

Boundry

Flooding,

Figure 3: Transboundary Flooding in Region 9 in Guyana; source: CDC, 2011

Due to its geography and hydrology Guyana is vulnerable to a variety of flood events. Theseinclude coastal, dam failure, riverine and ponding. Additionally, the convergence of theseevents within a specific geographic location can exacerbate the flood threat beyond the

normal flood levels.

Flooding has been regarded as one of the most important environmental hazards affectingGuyana particularly in the coastal regions. The proximate causes of flooding are contained in


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the everyday environmental stresses of inadequate solid waste management, drainage,drinking water provisions and sanitation1.

Significant attention is paid to the coastal plain because it is regarded an area of reclaimedland that lies near or below sea level, supports 90% of the population and is theadministrative, agricultural, commercial and industrial centre of the country. However,flooding can be expected in the interior locations as well via a Tran boundary nature as has

been experienced by persons living in Region 9 in June 2011.

2.11 CAUSES

Flooding can be largely regarded a natural event; the water cycle is a balanced system. It is bestunderstood as water flowing into one part of the cycle (like rivers) to another part (the sea). However,an adverse effect results when the amount flowing into one area is greater than the capacity of thesystem to hold it within natural confines. The result is a flood, which occurs when the amount ofwater arriving on land (from rainfall, surface flow, and flow in watercourses or inundation by thesea) exceeds the capacity of the land or drainage system to discharge that water. This occurrence canbe anywhere but mainly on land adjacent to watercourses or low lying ground next to the coast or

ponding of surface runoff in built up areas.

Additional contributing factors to flooding impacts:

a. Building developments in floodplainsb. Built developments in catchments and other changes in land use (increases the rate and

volume of runoff in a catchment)c. Lack of maintenance of flood defense systemsd. Canalization, modification and diversion of rivers and watercourses, which increases the rate

of flow and decrease the time taken for water to travel within a catchmente. The building of structures for example embankments that restrict flows over historical flood

plains thus creating additional flood risks upstream and downstreamf. Land management practices that increase blockages of hydraulic structuresg. Transboundary flow of water from one near-by river basin into another

Transboundary flooding floods are largely regarded as river basin wide phenomena andtherefore do not respect borders. In this instance, flooding often creates common problems withlocally varying intensity2.

NOTE: Flooding, as has been found in Guyana, can be caused by a combination of several of thefactors listed above.

1Extracted from Mark Pelling (2003) The vulnerability of cities: natural disasters and social resilience.

2Information taken from the website:

http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/meetings/flood/workshop%202009/discussion%20paper%20transboundary%20flood%20workshop.pdf
http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/meetings/flood/workshop%202009/discussion%20paper%20transboundary%20flood%20workshop.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/meetings/flood/workshop%202009/discussion%20paper%20transboundary%20flood%20workshop.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/meetings/flood/workshop%202009/discussion%20paper%20transboundary%20flood%20workshop.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/meetings/flood/workshop%202009/discussion%20paper%20transboundary%20flood%20workshop.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/meetings/flood/workshop%202009/discussion%20paper%20transboundary%20flood%20workshop.pdf


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2.12 IMPACTS

Flooding is not automatic. It all depends on the severity of impact and/or damage which can resultfrom:

a. Flow Velocity (the larger the flow velocity the greater the risk of damage and injury)b. Warning time and rate of onset of inundation, this will dictate the amount of time to preparec. Predictability of floodingd. Duration of inundatione.

Depth of inundation

f. Contaminantsg. Type and number of risk receptors (for example flood plain properties)

The consequences of flooding vary with land use. Overtopping and possible failure of a flood defenceprotecting a densely populated built up area is an extreme risk. A similar event affecting agriculturalland is unlikely to involve a serious threat to life but may adversely impact economic resilience of acommunity. Further, significant flooding affecting a wide area can have substantial economic andpublic health impacts on communities and infrastructure. It is important to note that significant floodevents can be complex and can occur at any time day or night and can last for an uncertain period oftime. As such, it is important to take into consideration all of the above listed factors.

2.13 PROBABILITY OF FLOODING

Probability is the likelihood of an event occurring. In flood terms, probability is often referred to as areturn period such as a 50-year flood event is a flow or tide level that is expected to be equaled orexceeded on average once every 50 years. This can be misinterpreted as meaning that a flood will notbe exceeded more often than indicated by the return period. In other words, a 1 in 100 year flooddoes not necessarily occur only once every 100 years, they occur on average once every 100 years.

The probability or likelihood that a location will flood in any one year is expressed in Table 3:

Probability table

Chance of flood event every yearReturn Period Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) Odds

1 in 20 years 5% chance of a flood happening each year 20:11 in 100 years 1% chance of a flood happening each year 100:11 in 200 years 0.5% chance of a flood happening each year 200:11 in 1000 years 0.1% chance of a flood happening each year 1000:1

The estimation of probability is prone to uncertainty due to the use of short periods of record or tochanging conditions such as river basin urbanization, channel maintenance or degradation and

climate change.

2.14 SOURCES OF FLOODING

Floods can be categorized by the source of the event. The characteristics of each of the following floodsources will assist in determining the actions taken to alleviate the flood consequences.


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a. River/Fluvial Flooding:The principal source of river flooding is excessive rainfall within a limited period, whichoverwhelms the drainage capacity of the land or drainage systems, particularly when theground is already saturated or when drainage channels become blocked. Weather patternsdetermine the amount and location of rainfall. Unfortunately the amount and time over whichprecipitation (rainfall) occurs is not consistent for any given area. A number of factors cancombine with exceptional precipitation to exacerbate flooding, for example, water-saturatedground, unusually high tides (spring tides), and drainage modifications.

Rapid (flash) flooding can occur when extensive saturation of high ground accompanied byintense short-duration rainfall in a small catchment or in a heavily built up area results insudden release of large volumes of water along narrow channels from high ground to lowlying locations. Extreme rainfall events may be forced by airflow over mountains, weatherfronts and convective storms. The most extreme events involve a rapid uplift of moist air inthe same location for a long time. This type of meteorological event can cause other effectsincluding landslides.

b. Coastal floodingInundation by the sea on coastal areas is potentially caused by unusually high tide, storm

surge, and wave activity including tsunamis. Coastal flooding may also be caused bystructural failure of defences with some locations subject to combinations of tidal and riverimpacts. Long-term processes like subsidence and rising sea level as a result of globalwarming can lead to encroachment of the sea on land.

c. Dam Burst, Conservancy Failure or Overtopping, Sea Defence FailureDams occur as human constructed features, or as natural features constructed possibly bylandslides. Human constructed dams are built for water storage, generation of electricalpower, and flood control. Flood defence systems are designed to protect vulnerable low-lyingareas and also hold water levels above the surrounding natural ground level.

Failure can result in the sudden release of large volumes of water leading to catastrophicflooding including potential loss of life.

2.15 IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

A significant volume of research has been undertaken, and is ongoing, in the field of climate change;with respect to both causes and impacts of change. It also led to there being developed the GuyanaClimate Change Action Plan 2001. Contained in this document is the impacts of climate change,which are reflected in the box below:

Impacts of Climate Change3Direct Impact

AGRICULTURE Effects of rising temperature, moisture changes, increased CO2 content of theatmosphere, pest abundance.

SEA LEVEL RISE Inundation of coastal areas, overtopping of sea defences

3http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/nap/guynap01.pdf
http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/nap/guynap01.pdfhttp://unfccc.int/resource/docs/nap/guynap01.pdfhttp://unfccc.int/resource/docs/nap/guynap01.pdfhttp://unfccc.int/resource/docs/nap/guynap01.pdf


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WATER RESOURCES Droughts, floods, regional shifts in rainfall patterns.Social Impact

ECONOMIC ANDPOLITICALSTABILITY

Response to the growing social and economic challenges

POPULATIONSHIFTS

Migration creating stress in certain towns or villages

HUNGER AND

POVERTY

Disputes over limited or diminishing resources

SOCIETAL STRESS Rapid adjustment to accelerating change, especially in the healthSector

CULTURAL ANDPSYCHOLOGICALSTRESS

Movement of people from cultural roots, and feelings of fear,anxiety and insecurity

2.16 FLOOD FACTS

Authorities must always keep to their foremost that there is a possibility that lives will be lost onland, river or sea during a flood event. Once general knowledge is available about a locality, thefollowing can be considered as likely to arise under flood conditions:

a. Dislocation of services: road transport and access may be impeded by floodwatersb. Power failure at pumping stations and sewerage treatment works may cause additional

flooding and pollution hazardsc. Hydraulic structures may be damaged or blocked by floating objectsd. Collapse of walls/propertiese. Health impacts may be substantial, affecting many people at the same timef. People may be displaced (potentially for periods of up to or beyond a year) physically injured

or exposed to chemical and biological hazardsg. Floods can also cause anxiety and have psychological impacts on the affected communitiesh. Poultry sewage and other pollutants may cause contaminated water containing a number of

pathogensi. Disruption of communications

j. Significant economic impactsk. Power failure due to a flooded power station


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Chapter: 3DISASTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN GUYANA

3.1 Institutional Framework

The Cabinet, under Cabinet note CP (97)2:2: reconstituted the CDC in 1997. The Terms ofReference of the Commission are:

To identify disasters according to established criteria and classification To produce plans for the Management of National Disasters To identify and implement mechanisms for disaster response and mitigation To maintain a permanent body, to enhance the national capacity for Disaster

Management Services To train human resources involved in Disaster response mechanisms To educate all levels in the tenets of Disaster response

Guyana, through the CDC, has embarked on a Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM)program that illustrates the cyclic process by which the country plan for and reduce theimpact of disasters, and take steps to recover after a disaster has occurred. Appropriateactions at all points in the CDM cycle will lead to greater preparedness, better warnings,reduced vulnerability or the prevention of disasters during the next repetition of the cycle.

Authority from the Office of the President provides for the maintenance and restoration oforder in areas affected by catastrophes, and relief against such catastrophes. These provisionsare made through the government appointed entity the Civil Defence Commission (CDC).This body will work through other critical stakeholders, in particular, the Ministry of LocalGovernment and Regional Democratic Councils and its regional bodies.

4.2Existing Disaster Management Systems:The National Disaster Management System is a three tiered system:

National Regional Community or Local level.

The National Level is the policy level consisting of the Office of the President, with the

President as the head/ lead in policy decisions in an emergency. Supporting the Head ofState is the National Disaster Coordinator (NDC), linking with the Cabinet. In support of theCabinet, there is currently a Sub Committee of Cabinet addressing DRM issues.


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On the Technical Level, the CDC is the lead/ coordinator. Assistance and guidance inprogramming is given to the CDC by the Disaster Risk Reduction Platform, which iscomprised of the following agencies:

Disaster Risk Reduction Platform Membership:

NDIA Guyana Red Cross

UNDP Guyana Lands and Survey CommissionMLG&RD MoHNICEF MoFSea and River Defence Hydromet Dept.Guyana Fire Service Guyana Police ForceEPA Guyana Defence ForcePrivate Sector Commission Inter American Development BankCivil Society Organizations

In addition to the DRR Platform, there is a National Preparedness and Response Structure

that will be responsible for the management and execution of this plan. See chart below.The committees in this structure will operate in conjunction with the CDC and the otherlevels.


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Chapter:4FLOOD PREPAREDNESS FUNCTIONS

4.1 Phases of Flood preparedness: Effective flood management is undertaken in fourphases. These are: 1. Planning, 2. Preparedness, 3. Response, 4. Recovery

Phase 1 Planning and Pre-Flood Preparation: Flood preparedness is a normal day-to-dayoperation for the central and regional levels to monitor river levels, provide oversight todam and dike owners, continue efforts in planning and exercises, and provide formitigation. The region may, from time to time, provide strategic recommendations to localauthorities and engage in flood response training or exercises. To maximize resources and

to ensure coordinated approach to potential flood events, local authorities begin work on anintegrated Regional Flood Response Plan that details what jurisdictional activities are or willbe undertaken for preparedness, response and recovery within the region by all agencies.

Phase 2 Preparedness: Preparedness is a state of affairs during a strong potential to flooding.Special resources may be pre-positioned, advisories are prepared, the Central CoordinationGroup (CCG) meets and active communication between local authorities and the regionsoccur regarding the potential for flooding. The local authority should ensure theirEmergency Operations Centres (EOCs) are ready and staff are contacted In addition, allrelated plans, including recovery plans are reviewed. Local authorities also provide public

information about the risks of flooding and what individual, families and businesses can doto be prepared. Authorities actively monitor their flood protection works to ensure that suchthings as electrical connections are functional, and any gates or valves are operational andclear. The regions may hold regional information meetings with local authorities to provideflood event information as possible and to ensure proper information flow.

Phase 3 Response: Response is initiated when there is an imminent flooding. Generally, thiswill occur when river stage (water height) is expected to reach or exceed stream channelcapacity resulting in water threatening or impacting any people, property, or infrastructure.The EOC both at the national and regional levels will be activated commensurate to the

level of response required. Public information on flood proofing homes, businesses andthreatened infrastructure as well as public safety advisories will be issued by the EOCsalong with bulletin board postings or local newsprint articles to provide flood safetyawareness to citizens and explain flood response plans.

Phase 4 Recovery/ Disaster Financial Assistance: This is initiated when the threat of flooding isover and the replacement and restoration of uninsured essential property to pre-eventcondition commences. This includes debris and gravel removal that has not occurred under


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response. Incremental costs for a local authoritys Recovery Centre under CommunityDisaster Recovery are administered under Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) programs.

Thus, development of Preparedness and Response Plan is essential for effective response.There are six essential activities for responding to an incident:

plan organize

train equip exercise evaluate and improve.

During the preparedness phase, CDC will:

1. Prepare emergency preparedness plan at national level.2. Define and review roles of key agencies in disaster risk management.3. Ensure that Local Government Authorities develop emergency preparedness plan.4. Prepare hazard specific national level contingency plans5. Provide technical support to public and private sectors in preparation of contingency

plans6. Lay down the guidelines for preparing disaster management plans for different

Ministries, Department and the RDCs

7.

Prepare, review, maintain and upgrade the communication mechanisms for earlywarning and devise such information dissemination strategy that the information reachesthe end user.

8. Coordinate with relevant Ministries and agencies and the RDCs for Emergency stockpilesof relief material to ensure that such material is available at short notice.

9. Implement, coordinate and monitor the national disaster response strategy and policy.

Continuouscycle to improvethe s stem


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10.Promote general education and awareness with regards to disaster management andperform such other functions that may be required.

11.Review and update national plan at an appropriate interval.12.Design, plan and run annual field simulation exercises as necessary to include all aspects

and agencies involved in disaster response, to adequately enhance disaster preparednessand awareness.

13.Set up the national emergency operations centre (NEOC) and maintain state of readiness

with all equipment in working order. Orient and train EOC personnel on its operations.14.Prepare communication and transportation plans for potential disaster response.15.Prepare hazard specific maps showing vulnerable areas and population.16.Provide technical support to the RDCs for emergency preparedness plan development.17.Assess training needs of the RDCs, NDCs and other stakeholders and organize training

sessions for them.18.Design, Maintain and upgrade emergency telecommunications system to ensure the

coordination of emergency operations involving emergency services.19.Conduct hazard and risk analysis as required, using the information to design and

implement a hazard loss reduction programme , focusing on key areas such as critical

facilities, housing etc.20.Prepare an inventory of resources for emergency response in collaboration with of RDCsand NDCs disaster management authorities.

21.Coordinate/ develop a network with humanitarian organizations such as, the GuyanaRed Cross, NGOs and the private sector for disaster mitigation and preparednessactivities.

22.Design and implement ongoing DRM programmes in public education, training,inventory management and resource procurement.

At the regional Level, the Regional Democratic Councils will undertake the followingpreparedness activities:

1. During peace time, RDCs will work in the preparedness mode, working during the daytime in order to take care of extended emergency preparedness activities.

2. Prepare Regional emergency preparedness plans.3. Prepare hazard specific maps showing vulnerable areas and population.4. Prepare regional contingency plans.5. Set up regional emergency operation centre (REOC) and maintain state of readiness with

all equipment in working order. Orient and train REOC personnel on its operations.6. Coordinate with NDCs and the CDCs to ensure that local and community preparedness

and contingency plans are prepared.

7.

Provide technical support to NDCs for emergency preparedness and contingencyplanning.

8. Assess training needs of the RDC and NDCs in relation to emergency preparednessand response and organizing trainings for them.

9. Conduct risk analysis for use in contingency planning.10.Assist the Civil Defense Commission in national level response planning.


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11.Coordinate with the relevant departments for the preparation of a resource inventory foruse in emergency response.

4.2 EARLY WARNING, INFORMATION FLOW

Early Warning is key to successful preparedness of a country, region and communitiesagainst any natural disasters. In order to be effective and better organized and making an

informed community early warning system needs to comprise four interacting elements: (i)risk knowledge, (ii) monitoring and warning service, (iii) dissemination and communicationand (iv) response capability.

An early warning is only effective if it reaches the communities in time so that requiredaction can be taken. In many cases, early warning systems are either non-existent or areineffective / prone to break down at critical point. However, during last couple of years, thecountry has witnessed development in the field of communication. This progress hascertainly improved the ability of the emergency services to communicate.

It has been recognized internationally that EWS have to be people centered to be mosteffective with end-to-end approaches to it. The EWS must empower individuals andcommunities at risk, to act in sufficient time and in an appropriate manner, to reduce thepossibility of personal injury, loss of life and damage to property.

To be effective, the CDC must collaborate with the telecommunication, hidro-met agencies,print and electronic media to ensure effective contributions to early warning at national andlocal levels to reduce the impact of disasters.

Early warning system can be made more effective by ensuring that:-a. All warning system and technologies are maintained in working condition and checked ona regular basis.b. Communities in the disaster prone areas are made aware of the warning systems.c. Alternate warning system must be kept in readiness in case of technical failure.d. Only the designated agencies and officer will issue the warning.e. The warning should be in clear and easy to understand.

4.2.1 NATIONAL EWS STRUCTURE and MECHANISMThe National Structure is being established under the National Disaster ManagementFramework. The EWS will be a sub set of the National Disaster Committee, and isestablished as follows:


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4.2.2 IMPLEMENTATION SYSTEM: EWS PROTOCOLS

i. Under the management structure, the implementation of the national EWS is guidedby the following protocol. Based on hazard assessments, the EWS is predicated mainly

on hydro meteorological hazards, and health hazards. The three main ministries whowill provide the warnings will be Agriculture, Public Works and Health.

ii. The EWS is started when the monitoring and warning mechanisms of the ministriesdetect a threat that could lead to a major impact. Their internal teams and policies kickin and the relevant analysis is undertaken. On completion, a pre determined warningmessage is dispatched to the public for their information. A copy of this information isrecommended to be passed to the CDC prior to the dispatch to the public.

iii. On receipt of the warning, the Director General of the CDC holds discussions with

relevant technical agencies and prepares a draft alerting and preparedness message.He forwards a copy of same to the Office of the President and to the National DisasterCoordinator (NDC), for their review and approval. On agreement on the content, it isrecommended that the message be forwarded to GINA for onward dissemination tothe press and to the emergency services for their action as required.

4.2.3 DECISION MAKING PROCESS

The information passed to the CDC will be used to generate a composite picture,taking into consideration all the current factors. On receipt of information, the

relevant parties needed, depending on the hazard, will be called into the NEOC to dothe analysis of the information at hand. The outputs will be recommendations, plan ofaction and public advisories. Before dissemination, they must be approved by theNDC.

4.2.4 COMMUNICATION/ DISSEMINATION PROTOCOLS

National Early WarningSystem Sub Committee

Technical Support

- Figure 2: National Early Warning System Management Structure

National Emergency

Operations Centre


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i. Warnings/alerts etc will originate from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry ofHealth and Ministry of Public Works and be sent directly to the public.

ii. Same alerts are to be passed to the CDC prior going to the public. This is tofacilitate planning, early warning and preparedness

iii. Timelines for dissemination will be driven by the nature of the event, by policy

and the extent of the hazard, who needs to know what is to be done.

iv. On receipt of warning, discussions will be held and then decisions made,leading to public advisories and advice to emergency responders

v. Public advisories will be so structured as to inform on what/ where/ when/who/ how severe/ actions to be taken

vi. After formulation, public advisories sent to NDC for approval if there is policylevel content for approval. If purely technical, then disseminated directly to

agencies and to GINA etc.

vii. If no approval needed, a copy is still sent to the NDC/ OP for informationpurposes, to ensure that they are aware of all that is being sent out.

viii. Dissemination flow: it is agreed that all messages from the Technical Groupwill be sent back to the main originating ministry for dissemination to thepublic. This is so as they have strong PR machinery and it will provide anatural follow up on their original message. Messages will be sent directly tothe Ministers office from the DG CDC, and if a representative from theministry is present in the EOC, they will also pass back to the Minister.

ix. Other copies will be distributed to the Joint Services by the HPS and also toGINA who will send to the media houses as well

x. (Digicel and GT&T) have indicated that they can also disseminate messagesusing the SMS Text feature.

xi. Other means of passing messages: Amateur radio CB

Land line Cell phone Signs Runners Email Social networks


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mobile loud speakers sirens flyers sides of buses

xii. Messages sent from CDC to agencies will be sent via: Email

Fax Land line Radio Hand delivery to offices Direct to representative in EOC

4.2.5 DECLARATION OF A DISASTER

The declaration of disaster depends upon the nature and size of the level of hazard impact.Under the CDEMA mechanism, three levels of emergency/ disaster are categorized:

Level 1Localized emergency events can be managed within the regular operating mode of theprotective and emergency services. Can be managed by the RDC with its own resources.

Level 2Emergency/disaster events that overwhelm the capacity of the resources in a region, butwhich do not overwhelm the capacity of the national resources to respond and recover (suchzones of impact can be declared Disaster Areas).

Level 3Disaster events that overwhelm the capacity of the national resources to respond and recover(such an event may be designated as a National Disaster).

The President will make the declaration of a National Disaster or Regional Disaster, or if it isa contained area within a region, A Disaster Area. The declaration will be based upon thedamage assessments and recommendations of the NDC and DG of the CDC.

4.2.6 Criteria for Declaring a Disaster

There is no clear benchmark or guide line currently existing. Normally, a technical

committee/ damage assessment team is dispatched and based on their assessment;recommendations are made to the CDC then onward to NDC/HPS and Cabinet. ThePresident reviews this information and recommendation, and based on these makes therelevant declaration, as described above.


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It is critical to note at this point that the declaration of a National Disaster or Disaster Area isdifferent from the Declaration of a State of Emergency (SOE). By definition, a SOE is agovernmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive,legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviors, or ordergovernment agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as arationale for suspending rights and freedoms, even if guaranteed under the constitution.Such declarations usually come during a time of periods of civil unrest, during, or following

a declaration of war, situation of international or internal armed conflict, natural ormanmade disaster. The SOE was used for disaster purposes prior to the formalization of theterms National Disaster or Disaster Areas.

Given below is a hazard-specific set of criteria that is generally to be followed by disastermanagement authorities for declaring a disaster area, regional disaster or national disaster.

4.2.7 Levels of Emergency

Level 1. Localized flooding event will be dealt with by the RDCs/ NDCs at the regional

level. The RDC is capable of handling the situation on its own. Emergency may be declaredby the Chairman after consultation with the relevant local authorities. Actions andresponsibilities are as under:-

Actions Responsibility1 Activate REOC partially Lead RDC

Led by the RDCc2 Conduct rapid assessment of the situation3 Declare local level emergency4 Inform MLG and departments about the local level

emergency declarationRDCc

5 Immediately initiate relief work in the affectedarea6 Prepare relief operation report and share it with

RDC and relevant line departments at district level

7 Stand down the REOC and inform RDC and linedepartments

Lead RDCc

8 Close down the relief operation and inform all linedepartments and RDC

Lead RDCc

Level 2. Emergency/disaster which overwhelms the capacity of the Regional DisasterCommittee (RDCc) and the RDC to manage the situation, RDC can make a request forassistance to the Civil Defence Commission through the Ministry of Local Government.Request is also made to neighboring RDCs for assistance where possible, especially in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government


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situations close to the boundaries. In this situation an emergency is declared by theChairman. Actions and responsibilities are as under:-

Actions Responsibility1 Activate REOC Lead RDC

RDCc

2 Inform NEOC / CDC about the situation3 Alert and inform all line departments in the region

4 Conduct damage and loss assessment in the affectedarea

5 Immediately initiate relief work in the affected area Lead RDCcSupport Agencies,Emergency respondersregional linedepartmentsNGOs/CBOsRDC

RDCc

6 Share assessment report with MLG and request forassistance for emergency operation

7 Mobilize and deploy resources e.g. evacuation, SARteam, medical team etc

8 Make request to MLG for financial assistance

9 Coordinate and facilitate CBOs and NGOs for reliefOperation

10 Prepare relief operation report and share it withrelevant line departments at regional level

11 Stand down the REOC and inform MLG and linedepartments

Lead is RDCc

Level 3. In case emergency/disaster is beyond the capacity of provincial/regionalgovernment national emergency is declared by the President. Appeal may be launched

internationally for the assistance. Actions and responsibilities are as under:-

Actions Responsibility1 Activate National EOC Lead is CDC2 Inform RDC and Regional Disaster Committee, about

the activation of NEOC3 Alert relevant ministries and departments4 Support provinces/regions in conducting damage and

loss assessment in the affected area5 Share assessment report with NDMC Relevant Ministries,

Support Agency

regional line departmentsNGOs/CBOs

6 Support provincial/regional and district authorities in

resource mobilization for relief operation7 Provide technical support to provincial/regional and

districtauthorities for relief operation

8 Coordinate with GDF for assistance9 Initiate the process of emergency declaration and

notification process


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10 Prepare situation report on daily and weekly basis andshare with relevant stakeholders and President

11 NDMA request to the NDMC for financial assistance12 Coordinate with NGOs, UN and other international

humanitarian organization, philanthropists for effectiveresponse

13 Inform public about the situation through mediabriefings

14 Coordinate with UN Cluster System for effective resp15 Stand down the NEOC when the relief phase is over NDMA16 Prepare relief operations report and share it with key

Stakeholders


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CHAPTER:5DISASTER RESPONSE FUNCTIONS

5.1 Command and Coordination/ Disaster Response Systems

On immediate declaration of an emergency following a severe flood situation, variousagencies must respond as early as possible to provide immediate response to those most inneed. This response includes rescue, relief and immediate evacuation of the affectedpopulation to safe places with basic supporting including health and shelter provisions withspecial attention to the small children, women, old and destitute. However, all entities mustbear in mind that there are standard operating procedures and a criteria that must beadhered to. The purpose of this section is to explain the response functions of variousagencies, standards and criteria to be used for organization of emergency response bydifferent stakeholders.

5.1.1 Response Agencies

Civil Defence Commission (CDC):

After the devastating floods in December 2005/January 2006 the Office of the Presidententrusted the CDC with the national mandate to serve as the focal point and to coordinate allresponse related activities among all stakeholders, including ministries, divisions,departments, and humanitarian organizations at all levels for emergencies in Guyana.

Region Disaster Committee (RDCc)

Disaster Management units have been established in all ten regions. The ultimate authoritylies with the Central Government with local oversight provided by the regions RegionalExecutive Officers (REO) in collaboration with the Regional Chairmen, under the RegionalDemocratic Councils (RDC). These regional bodies shall be responsible for region levelplanning, coordinating and implementation for disaster management and take all measuresfor the purpose of disaster management in the region in accordance with the guidelines laiddown by the national management authorities.

In furtherance of the three tier level, the RDC will establish Neighborhood DisasterCommittees (NDCc) under the management of the Neighborhood Democratic Councils(NDC) as well as Community Disaster Committees (CDCc) under the CommunityDemocratic Councils (CDC)

5.2 Response Agencies Roles and Functions

5.2.1 Civil Defence Commission CDC


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During Disaster:

The CDC acts as the lead implementing, coordinating and monitoring body for disastermanagement. Its functions are to:-

(a)Activate National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) and make it operationalized on24 X 7 basis.

(b)Manage national level incidents and support the RDCs and NDCs in incidentmanagement.(c) Inform and alert concerned ministries and departments about the incident.(d) Inform concern ministries and departments to join the NEOC.(e) Lead rapid assessment in the affected area.(f) Mobilize and deploy teams e.g. search and rescue, technically skilled people (e.g. GDF,USAR, & Rescue teams etc) heavy machinery, medical equipment, medicines, immediately tothe affected areas.(g) Mobilize and send food and non-food items to the affected Regions for distribution.(h) Coordinate with relevant ministries and department e.g. Civil Aviation Authority, Social

Welfare, Health and Education etc to prepare them to activate and deploy resources.(j) Coordinate with the RDC in the affected areas and provide them with the necessarytechnical and material assistance for relief operation.(k) Establish and maintain communications with incident command authorities to ensure acommon and current operating picture regarding critical resources requirement.(l) Coordinate with UN agencies, humanitarian organizations, NGOs for mobilizing theirrelief assistance.(j) Keep track of all the relief, rescue and evacuation and identifying the gaps and immediatesupport on various fronts.(k) updating the central government from on regular basis for any support required on anyemergency situation.(l) Manage and coordinate coordination meetings, updating the media, higher levelministries and donor for any required support on any aspects of relief and rescue operations.

5.2.2 Regional Disaster Committees/ Regional Democratic Councils/ CDCc

During Disaster:

(a) Activate regional emergency operation centre (REOC).(b) Conduct rapid assessment.(c) Coordinate with relevant departments for response.

(d) Responsible for incident management at the regional level.(e) Conduct post disaster rapid assessment and actively play role in emergency declarationnotification process.(f) Mobilize, activate and deploy resources for disaster response at regional level.(g) Coordinate with public and private sector at regional level to mobilize resources anddeploy for effective response.


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(h) Closely coordinate and update the CDC before, during and after disaster situation.(j) Coordinate and provide necessary support and guidance to the affecteddistricts/agencies in the event of disaster.(k) Provide timely and essential relief goods and logistics support to the affected areas of theregion(l) Monitor hazards risks and vulnerable conditions within the region on regular basis andprepare plans accordingly.

(m) Encourage participation and facilitate NGOs, voluntary organizations and communitiesin different aspects of disaster response.(n) Coordinate and facilitate humanitarian organizations, UN and private sectororganizations for effective response.(o) Inform public of the situation on a timely basis through print and electronic media

5.2.3 Guyana Defence Force (GDF):

The GDF has always contributed very effectively in emergency response operations andprovided immediate relief through extensive air, ground and marine efforts. The GDF is a

critical stakeholder to the CDC that provides readily available manpower and nationalresources. The main areas of responsibility for this entity include, but not limited to:i. Work in support of the CDC in relief, rescue and other related operational work

ii. Assist in the management of the NEOCiii. Liaison with the CDC in search and rescue operations and provide available resources as

needed to assist in responseiv. Assist with preparations for flood contingency and relief operation plansv. Assist in setting up and managing shelter facilities in close coordination with other

relevant ministries, departmentsvi. Assist with security during disasters if required

5.2.4 Role of Guyana Land and Surveys Commission(GLSC):

As the National Mapping Agency of Guyana, the role of the Guyana Lands and SurveysCommission in relation to the National Multi Hazard Disaster Preparedness and ResponsePlan can be classified as follows;

i) Land Policy and Planning: To provide Guidance on Land Use by way of policy,and plans, in order to guide the orderly and efficient utilization of public landresources.

ii) Land Definition: To advise on land surveying matters as it relates to the disaster

preparedness and response plan.iii) Land Information: To create and provide relevant geographic information, for

informed land decisions as it relates to disaster preparedness and responseplan. (GIS mapping, Gazetteer of Guyana)

iv) To create and provide relevant geographic information using the appropriatetechnology to aid decision making.


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v) To provide maps of Guyana or parts thereof.vi) To provide charts, plans and images of spatial information.

vii) To undertake flood level mapping

5.2.5 Welfare and Relief:

The lead in this section is the Ministry of Human Services who works closely with the

Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and the Guyana Relief Council among others. HumanServices will provide:

i. counselingii. financial and medical assistance

iii. will deal with vulnerable persons old age pensions, general public assistance andprovide a loan scheme for single parents.

Human Services also works very closely with the Ministry of Housing and have establisheda Womens Affairs/Mens Affairs Bureau. The Human Services Ministry has standingarrangements with small businesses to accessing goods and is also closely linked with

UNFPA, UNICEF and Red Cross and will utilize these associations to make the necessaryrelief provisions.

The Guyana Relief Council will assist with provisions for the most impacted. They willprovide shelter which will focus on keeping families together.

The Amerindian Affairs Ministry will oversee needs for this specific population. They willprovide their Community Development Officers to offer assistance to those Amerindianpopulations hardest hit. Displaced Amerindians will be housed at welfare hostels.

5.2.6 Agriculture and Natural Resources Group:

The Ministry of Agriculture will lead this group that includes Forestry Commission (GFC),Hydromet Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Drainageand Irrigation Authority (NDIA). The Ministry will work closely with the Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO is currently in the process of establishing a planfor the agricultural sector. The Ministry of Agriculture will provide assistance to affectedfarmers.

5.2.7 Telecommunications:

The lead entity will be the Frequency Management Unit, and will coordinate nationaltelecommunications activities. They will also ensure the provision of nationwidetelecommunication support to the National and Regional Disaster Management mechanisms.There will also be:

i. the coordination of the requirement of temporary telecommunication in theaffected areas by identifying operational telecommunication facilities within the soidentified affected areas


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ii. identify telecommunication facilities that need to be transported to the affected siteto establish emergency operational services

iii. identify the actual and planned action of private telecommunication companiestowards reconstruction of their facilities

iv. Establish a temporary communication facility through mobile exchanges, onpriority, for use by the State on priority basis

5.2.8 Medical/ Public Health:

The Ministry of Health (MoH) will take the lead in this area assisted by the Pan AmericanHealth Organization (PAHO) and the Red Cross Society as dictated in the National HealthSector Disaster Plan. MoH will coordinate, direct and integrate national level response toprovide medical and sanitation health assistance to the affected areas. This coordinationassistance will supplement national and regional resources in response public health andmedical care needs following a significant natural or manmade disaster. Further, the MoHwill direct the activation of health/medical personnel, supplies and equipment in responseto the request for national assistance.

Coordination of the evacuation of patients from disaster areas will be overseen. Patientswhose injuries do not pose any threat to their health will be discharged after first aid. Therewill also be the provision of human services assistance through the Ministry of HumanServices.

5.2.9 Public Works/Engineering Transport Ministry of Public Works and Commission:

The lead will provide the coordination of transportation to the State and Regional bodies inneed of assistance during emergency situations. The lead will also coordinate efforts to

restoring roads and the emergency supply routes. It will also assist in the prioritizationand/or allocation of civil transport, air and marine traffic control, search and rescue anddamage assessment.

5.2.10 Public Safety and Security Group:

The lead is the Ministry of Home Affairs but each essential service is aware of itsresponsibilities in an emergency. The Guyana Police Service, the GDF and the Fire Servicewill perform in their mandated role.

5.2.11 United Nations (UN) Agencies:

UN Agencies (UN Cluster approach System) play a significant role in disaster managementespecially in assessment, planning, coordination, response, recovery and longer term disasterrisk reduction programme. UN takes a lead role in establishing the Inter Agency StandingCommittee. The main purpose of this group is to organize and coordinate meetings of UN ona regular basis to monitor response of various agencies. In addition to this, the UN assists in


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providing technical assistance to building capacity and strengthening public organizations inemergency response and disaster preparedness through training.

5.2.12 Media:

The lead entity (the Government Agency GINA) will ensure that the public receives timelyearly warnings, evacuation orders, and public messages on disaster situations to help save

lives and property. GINA will also coordinate messages sent to prevent communicablediseases, relay information on missing persons and stranded communities. Further, it willprovide information on recovery efforts taken by government and other humanitarianorganizations.

5.3 The National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC)

The NEOC will serve as the hub for receiving early warning and issuing information to thepublic, media (on condition that the release is approved by the OP), ministries, departmentsand humanitarian response agencies. The NEOC will also lead the coordination and

management of relief operation in affected areas, in conjunction with the RDCs and theREOC. All the agencies will be coordinated by the NEOC and the respective REOC.

The NEOC will be part of the CDC office with full and part time staff and facilities forrepresentatives from different ministries, departments and those humanitarian organizationswho will join the NEOC during the disaster time. These representatives will assist the NEOCDirector and Operations Officer in dealing with the emergency messages that come in to theNEOC, and in general assist in the management of the response to the particular incident.

The NEOC will be equipped with facilities such as:

i.

Telephones (landlines, cellular and satellite phones)ii. Fax

iii. Internet/emailsiv. Computersv. Printers

vi. Photocopiersvii. Televisions

viii. Status boards and map boardsix. Generatorsx. Other telecommunication systems radio telephone, handsets, VHF wireless radio

communication and standby power system.

The NEOC will be supervised and directed by the Director General of the CDC or hisdesignee and will be headed by the Deputy Director General (NEOC Director) andsupported by the operations, communications, public information, finance, administrationand logistics support teams. The NEOC will function 24/7 during the peak of the disaster


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time, at full activation, on a rotating three shift basis, or as deemed necessary by the CDC.During partial activations, and in the non-disaster time, it will operate on normal officehours.

Objectives.The main objectives of the NEOC are to:-a) Organize and manage emergency operations at national level

b)

Collect information, undertake analysis and arrange disseminationc) Liaise with all stakeholdersd) Disseminate warning on timee) Coordinate with different stakeholders for effective response

Functions.The main functions of the NEOC are:-a) Pre-Disaster:

i. Prepare emergency preparedness plan at national levelii. Ensure that regional and sectoral disaster management authorities develop emergency

preparedness plan.iii. Prepare national contingency plans.iv. Set up national emergency operations centre and maintain state of readiness with all

equipment in working order. Orient and train personnel of EOC on its operations.v. Prepare communication and transportation plan for potential disaster response.

vi. Prepare hazard specific maps showing vulnerable areas and populationsvii. Provide technical support to regional bodies for emergency preparedness plan.

viii. Coordinate with regional bodies for regional contingency plansix. Assess training needs for regional bodies and organizing training for them.x. Conduct risk analysis from the perspective of contingency planning.

xi. Prepare inventory resources for emergency response with collaboration of regionaland sector disaster management authorities.

xii. Coordinate with humanitarian organizations to discuss their plans for preparednessand response for future hazards.

b) During Disaster:i. Collect, consolidate, analyze and circulate information related to emergency

operations to the key stakeholders.ii. Screen and issue emergency warnings and information to the public concerning

preparedness and safety.iii. Prepare damage need assessment and relief reports.

iv.

Mobilize and deploy resources in the affected areas.v. Supply food, drinking water, medical supplies, and non-food items to the affected

populations.vi. Coordinate and provide technical support to the regional and sectoral EOC for

emergency response.


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vii. Coordinate with humanitarian organizations, bilateral and multilateral agencies forresource mobilization and deployment in the affected areas.

viii. Coordinate relief operations.ix. Forward urgent information to relevant agencies for immediate action.x. Prepare daily briefings on disaster situations for the NDC

xi. Prepare press release and other information for general public and specific group, androute to OP for approval prior to release.

xii.

Organize regular media and public information briefings in conjunction with OP.xiii. Prepare situation report (SITREP) on daily and weekly basis and circulate to the NDC

& other critical entities.xiv. Provision of all information to any citizen on the disaster related updates and

information on lost, dead and other relevant information on basic dos and donts tobe adhered by the affected or vulnerable population.

5.3.1 Activation Procedure and Stand-Down Procedure

On Receipt of Alert (Standby Stage 1).

Director General will collect information from the regional bodies and other stakeholdersabout the potential disaster, after reviewing it, advise the NEOC director to be on alert orstandby position of the NEOC. The CDC DG will update the NDC and seek his approval foractivation of the NEOC. SOPs to be followed for this stage are:-

i. Monitor the situationii. Alert the NEOC staff on the operationalization of the NEOC at short notice

iii. Put everything ready and functional in the NEOCiv. Coordinate with key ministries, departments, non-governmental organizations,

private sector, humanitarian organizations and alert themv. Closely coordinate with stakeholders to get information and review it.

These activities will be done by the NEOC Director (DDG CDC)

On Receipt of Warning (Stage 2).DG will issue notification to the NEOC Director for full activation of the NEOC. The NEOCDirector through the Operations Officer will inform key ministries, and other keystakeholders and remain fully operational on 24/7 basis. SOPs to be followed for this stageare:-

i. Place NEOC fully operationalii. Open all communication systems and links

iii. Collect essential information including detail of resources, which might be required

for relief operationiv. Inform all relevant ministries and departments to send their representatives to sit in

the NEOCv. Share information regularly with critical stakeholders

These activities to be done by the NEOC director and the Operations Officer


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Stand Down Procedure (Stage 3).After reviewing the situation and consultation between the DG and the NDC the DG willadvise the NEOC Director for stand down. Stand down is considered once the emergencyphase is over, the situation is brought under control and no further threats exist, and the allclear has been issued in case of meteorological events. The NEOC Director will notify standdown to key ministries and departments. SOPs to be followed for this stage are:-

i. DG will consult with NDC about stand down

ii.

DG will notify NEOC Director to approve stand downiii. NEOC Director will disseminate notification to the relevant ministries, departments

and other stakeholdersiv. Final report on the emergency operations will be prepared by the NEOC director and

circulated to key stakeholdersv. NEOC staff will work in normal mode

vi. Put communications system in store

In the event there is sufficient information gathering from the Early

Warning System regarding the likelihood of flooding the followingphased stages should be utilized.

Pre-Plan Activation Responsible

agencies

Increase in the rate of monitoring of rainfall and river stage by

NDIA and Hydro-met

NDIA/HYDROMET

CDC is notified of increase in river levels and intense rainfall NDAI/HYDROMET

Once water levels reach a critical levels as outlined in EDWCManagement Plan warning of potential flood conditions based on thepossible release of water from the conservancies should rains persistand levels continue to rise is given to CDC by NDIA

NDIA

CDC Informs NDC of high flood potential CDC

NDC Advises the President NDC

GINA is briefed on situation and asked to prepare alert bulletins forrelease and to prepare for general media briefing

NDC/CDC

CDC informs ministries, NGOs and voluntary organizations of thepossible flood and advise to review local plans

CDC

CDC convenes meeting of Technical Committee to apprise membersof the situation

CDC


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PS in all ministries hold preliminary meeting with their emergencyCommittees

ALL MINISTRIES

Coordination of rainfall and river gauge readings and preparation ofcombined reports submitted to CDC by NDIA/Hydro-met detailing

NDIA/HYDROMET

Emergency drainage clearance is carried out by all responsibleAgencies

NDIA/M&CC/NDC

CDC checks NEOC and ensures it is in working order CDC

NDIA intensifies monitoring of water level in dams and submitsreports to CDC

NDIA

CDC informs MoLG&RD about the possibility of release ofwater from the conservancies and flooding

CDC

Farmers are advised by MoA to identify safe areas for animals and tocommence round up of animals

MoA

Ministry of Finance activates Disaster Budget for easy access. Mo F

Mo A identifies sources for emergency feed stock and pre-position foreasy transportation

MoA

GDF advises Guysuco of the potential flood and submits request forpossible use of pontoons

GDF

CDC advises ML&HSS of the possible increase in shelter residents CDC

Warehouses are inspected and sprayed to prevent infestation MoA

Ministries, agencies and utility companies are provided with updates CDC

Based on information about where flooding will take place at riskcommunities are identified along with possible shelters

CDC

Shelter managers are alerted CDC

Shelters are prepared MoE/RDC/NDC

Preliminary briefing of NEOC Management team is conducted byNEOC coordinator

CDC

CDC provides Situation Report to GDF and emergency stand bystatus upgraded

CDC

CDC notifies heavy equipment operators and places operators onstand by

CDC

MoAg- arranges with local committees/NDC for the disposal of deadanimals

MoA

GDF compiles list of available vehicles and prepares fuel plan GDF

Available relief supplies are identified by all response agencies andlist presented to CDC

All relevant egencies

NDIA establishes contacts e with external agencies capable ofproviding extra pumps

NDIA

GDF/Digicel/GTT establishes and checks NEOC telecoms systemhotlines, internet feed and radio communication system. Extra lines

CDC


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are installed to facilitate information requests from the public.CDC opens special section on web page and post flood updates andsafety instructions for persons living in flood prone areas

CDC

CDC conducts review of NEOC message handling system CDC

Police Force coordinates the Review of security plan and coordinatingsystem with GDF/CDC and all relief agencies

CDC/Police

River and Sea Defences alerted by CDC CDC

Actions Responsible Agencies

President is updated on situation NDC

CDC convenes meeting of technical committee. CDC

All ministries/departments are advised to activate their disaster plans CDC

Ministry of health commences the stockpiling of medicine MoH

GINA convenes media briefing and provides bulletins and establishsystem for providing updates

GINA

Ministry of agriculture commences the stockpiling veterinary medicine. Mo A

Ministry of Health mobilizes vector control team MoH

Flood warning signs prepared for placement by Public Works Dept MPW&C

Road closed signs/detours signs checked out and delivered to police forcefor placements

MPW&C

GDF/CDC reviews evacuation plans and check routes. Routesundergoing major repairs should be noted.

GDF/CDC/GPF

River and Sea Defences conduct inspection of pump stations RSD

MoA advises farmers to move animals higher grounds MoA

NDIA conducts physical inspections of dams to check for possible breachpoints.

NDIA

Updates are provided to community leaders MoLG&RD

NDC advises CDEMA of potential disaster situation NDC

CDC prepares the NEOC for 24 hours operation (or as deemed necessary) CDC


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Supplies are moved to shelter GDF/CDC

Reports on prevailing conditions and forecasts are provided on a fourhour schedule by NDIA and Hydro-met.

HYDRO MET

Comprehensive list of relief supplies available is prepared by CDC andsubmitted to the GDF

CDC

NDIA prepares sand bags for deployment CDC

Actions Responsible Agencies

NEOC is activated and plan and SOPs implemented CDC

NEOC establish Situation Board to monitor situation CDC

NEOC starts recording log to record all /decisions actions taken from thispoint on CDC

CDC and GINA implement full emergency warning system CDC/GINA

Ministry of Education instructs that all schools in impact zones areordered closed

MoE

CDC activates evacuation plan CDC

Families are evacuated CDC

Police stations are relocated from vulnerable locationsBack-up telecommunications system is installed in relocated stationswhich are equipped with emergency supplies and equipment MREs,generators, water tanks, beds and boats

GPF

Security plan for evacuated areas are implemented by the police GPF

Police establish control points for evacuated areas GPF

CDC briefs Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis teams andcoordinates transport for the team with the GDF.

CDC

Utility companies are advised by CDC to activate their emergency plans CDC

CDC/GDF prepares transport plan for the movement of relief items CDC/GDF

Coordination plan for deployment of pumps prepared GUYSUCO, NDIA,

MPW&C, M&CC

GDF/CDC identifies relief distribution points and security plans areprepared for these

GDF,CDC, GPF


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Heavy equipment is pre-positioned NDIA

Sand bags are trucked to identified weak areas where over topping mayoccur

NDIA

Excess water is released from conservancies NDIA

Convene meeting of Technical Committee for updates CDC

5.3.2 Regional Emergency Operations Centre (REOC).

The Regional Emergency Operations Centre will serve as the hub for receiving early warningand management of response to all events occurring within the Region. The RegionalDemocratic Council will lead the coordination and management of relief operations inaffected areas. All the government departments at the regional level and concernedstakeholders will be coordinated by the REOC for emergency response. The REOC willfunction throughout the year in disaster and non disaster times. In disaster times the REOCwill be disseminating early warning information, relief coordination and management and

focus on early recovery. In non disaster times the focus will be on preparedness andcontingency planning. The REOC will be overall supervised and directed by the REOCDirector appointed by the REO. The REOC will be headed by the REOC Director andsupported by the operations and other support teams. The REOC will be working ro

Documents

Flood Preparedness and Response Plan Revised CDC Comments Final Revised Version