ODPM, Local Government: Better disaster management legislation coming

OFFICE of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) CEO ret Maj Gen Rodney Smart and Rural Development and Local Government senior disaster management coordinator Jerry David said better legislation to deal with natural disasters should be coming to Parliament next year.

They made these statements during a public inquiry held by the Parliament's Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) on Wednesday.

Smart told PAAC members that a multi-sectoral committee, comprising the ODPM and several other stakeholders, have been looking at ways to improve legislation to improve the response of different agencies to deal with natural disasters.

He said this legislation could be brought to Parliament within a year's time.

David added that this legislation is "well advanced."

They made their comments after Opposition Senator Wade Mark suggested the need for a single organization to deal with responses to natural disasters and accompanying legislation to support its operations.

Mark said TT has been fortunate to date that it has not experienced any major natural disaster.

But he was concerned that with the threat of climate change ,"we are heading for more challenges on the environmental front."

Acting Planning and Development Ministry permanent secretary Marie Hinds said better legislation for natural disaster management would be welcome. But she did not believe the creation of an entity as Mark was advocating may be necessary.

She suggested it could simply mean strengthening the ODPM.

Smart said the ODPM is currently doing some surveys to identify areas where its operations can be strengthened.

David said the ministry is currently looking at placing 100 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in certain areas to help provide early warning signs of flooding.

Mark did not seem impressed by their responses.

"The next disaster will result in people dying. Nature is not waiting for us to unite."

Responding to questions from Mark about a national building code with accompanying legislation to support it, Hinds said the ministry is having discussions with the TT Bureau of Standards about this.

Hinds also said there needed to be better coordination between different agencies with respect to dealing with people who illegally build structures on hillsides.

"There is room for improvement."

Acting Town and Country Planning Division director Candice Ramsaran said because of digital transformation, people can go to the division's website and find out about the rules regarding the construction of buildings in different areas.

Government Senator Laurence Hislop said historically Tobago has not experienced flooding in the way that Trinidad has. He asked whether climate change has affected the severity of flooding in Tobago.

Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart said changing weather patterns has seen instances of flash flooding in southwestern Tobago become more intense.

Works and Transport Ministry permanent secretary Sonia Francis-Yearwood told PAAC members that flood mitigation projects which the ministry carded for this year will begin soon.