Antigua and Barbuda

From HFA-PEDIA

1 HFA National Reports
2 National Platform
3 HFA National Focal Point
4 Other contacts
5 Country profile
- 5.1 Institutional setting
- 5.2 Urban indicators
6 Policies and programmes
7 Climate change
8 Progress
9 Others Documents:
10 Web Links:

HFA National Reports

Preliminary national HFA progress report 2009-2011 (2010): Antigua and Barbuda (via HFA Monitor on PreventionWeb)

National Report 2007-2009 (2008): Unreported

National Report 2007: Unreported

National Report 2006: Unreported

National Report 2005: Unreported

National Report 2004: Unreported

National Platform

No national platform reported

HFA National Focal Point

National Office of Emergency Services

Address: American Road St John´s, P.O. Box 1399

Phone: (+1-268) 460-7075 - Fax: (+1-268) 4624742

Contact person: Mr Philmore Mullin

Phone: (+1-268) 460-7075/562-2144 / Fax: (+1-268) 462-4742

E-mail: pfmullin@gmail.com, nodsanu@gmail.com

Alternative contact: Naomi Williams-Carvalho, Mr. Mullin's secretary

E-mail: naomijane1@hotmail.com

Other contacts

Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations Office and Specialized Institutions in Geneva

Chief:

His Excellency Mr. Carl B.W. Roberts

Ambassador

Permanent Representative-designate

Address: 45 Crawford Place (2e étage), W1H 4LP London, United Kindom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Tel: +(44-20) 7258-0070, Fax: +(44-20) 7258-7486

Email: enquiries@antigua-barbuda.com

URL: http://www.antigua-barbuda.com

National Office of Disaster Services

Patricia Julian, Director

American Road, St John's, Antigua

Phone: (+1-268) 460-7075, 562-2144 - Fax: (+1-268) 462-4742

E-mail: nods@antigua.gov.ag/ patricia.julian@antigua.gov.ag

Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross Society

Mrs Joan Gomes, Disaster Coordinator

Mr Bramwell Buntin, Disaster Preparedness

P.O. Box 727, St John's, Antigua

Phone: (+1-268) 462-0800, 460-9599 - Fax: (+1-268) 460-9595

E-mail: redcross@candw.ag

CDERA member:

Mrs. Patricia Julian, Director

National Office of Disaster Services

American Road, St Johns, Antigua

Phone: (+1-268) 562-2144 - Fax No: (+1-268) 462-4742

E-mail: nods@antigua.gov.ag/ patricia.julian@antigua.gov.ag

Country profile

Official name: Antigua and Barbuda

Capital: Saint John's (Antigua)

Population: 85,632 (July 2009 est.)

Area: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)

Coastline: 153 km

Population density: 155 inhab/ sq Km (July 2005)

Religion: Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some Roman Catholic)

Language: English (oficial), local dialects

Ethnic groups: Black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian

Government: Constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament

Currency: East Caribbean dollar

HDI Positión: 60°

Antigua and Barbuda is an island nation located on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major islands — Antigua and Barbuda — and a number of smaller islets. All are close neighbors within the middle of the Leeward Islands, and are located roughly 17 degrees north of the equator. Antigua has a population of 82,000, comprising chiefly a mixture of people of West African, British, and Portuguese descent. The islands of Antigua and Barbuda are part of the Lesser Antilles archipelago. To the south of Antigua and Barbuda lie the islands of Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago. Montserrat lies to the southwest; Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Eustatius are to the west, and Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin and Anguilla are to the northwest.

Natural hazards

The islands of Antigua and Barbuda are at risk from hurricanes, earthquakes, flash floods and periods of drought.

Recent hurricanes which have affected the island were Hugo in 1989, Luis and Marilyn in 1995, Georges in 1998 and Jose and Lenny in 1999. Hugo did not impact the islands directly but nevertheless left significant damage. Hurricane Luis was far more destructive and damaged 46 out of 71 schools. Georges left two people dead and damaged approximately 1700 homes, leaving more than 3000 people homeless. José once again brought destruction to the islands, killing one person and leaving 500 people homeless.

The most recent earthquake to hit Antigua was in 1974. No major floods have yet occurred on the islands, yet interference with natural water courses has caused flash floods. Periods of drought occur regularly, the most serious being those of 1995 and 1983-1984 during which the country's agricultural sector encountered great losses and water had to be imported from Dominica. There are no known volcanoes on the islands, yet they lie in close proximity to Guadeloupe, Dominica and Montserrat. Ash from Montserrat's active Soufriere Hill Volcano has reached the islands on at least one occasion.

Institutional setting

The national body for multi-sector coordination in disaster risk reduction as well as coordination of disaster response preparedness is the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS). Its main organs are the Office of the Director and the Preparedness and Response Advisory Committee. A National Disaster Management Act was passed into law in September 2002. A policy on Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) is being drafted. Building codes which take seismic risk into account are in place, and so are several contingency plans (including the national plan, oil spill plan, Mass Casualty Management Plan and sector and district disaster committee emergency plans). Furthermore, a centralised warehouse system has been set up with a new warehouse based at NODS, donated by US SOUTHCOM.

Hazard mapping has been done for wind, waves, storm surges, floods, droughts and landslides. These maps are used by several government institutions and insurance companies and are available to the general public. Hazard assessments have been done for all government owned public facilities. Early warning systems exist through the national meteorological office and there are flood risk monitoring programs for areas at risk. A defined list of flood prone areas is available at the NODS.

Public awareness on disaster reduction is raised through the National Office of Disaster Services, which produces and distributes information materials, delivers lectures and presentations and coordinates training programs free of charge. In kindergarten, primary and secondary school, educational programs on disaster risk reduction are in use. Programs for tertiary education are being developed through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) mechanism.

A major disaster mitigation program was set up in response to hurricane Georges in 2000/2001. The 'Hurricane Georges Reconstruction and Recovery in the Eastern Caribbean' program was funded by USAID and in part implemented by the OAS Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment. Under the 'Post Georges Disaster Mitigation' program, national hazard mitigation policies and plans were developed, building practices were strengthened, national emergency shelters policies and programmes were revised, and public information programs on hazard mitigation were drawn up. A major hazard mapping initiative as part of this program contributed greatly to the current availability of hazard maps of the islands.

Source: UNISDR Americas

Urban indicators

Statistical Overview

Urbanisation:

Total Population: Less than 1 million

Urban population: 37%

Slum to urban population: 7%

Annual population growth rates:

Urban: 1%

Slum: 1%

Slum Indicators - % urban population with access to:

Safe Water Source: 95%

Improved sanitation: 98%

(Based on UN-Habitat 2001 estimates)

Indicator	2030
Total population (thousands)	103.9
Population in urban (thousands)	39.9
Population in slums (thousands)	N/A
Population in urban areas (% of total population)	38.4
Population in slums (% of urban population)	N/A
Annual urban population growth rate (%)	N/A
Annual slum population growth rate (%)	N/A
Population with access to improved sanitation (% of urban population)	N/A
Population with access to improved water (% of urban population)	N/A
Population with sufficient living area (% of urban population)	N/A
Population with durable structures (% of urban population)	N/A
Population in rural (thousands)	64