Barbados
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HFA National Reports
National Report 2007: no reported
National Report 2006: no reported
National Report 2006: no reported
National Platform
No National Platform reported
HFA National Focal Point
Department of Emergency Management
(Institutional name change as of April 1, 2007. Previously - Central Emergency Relief Organization (CERO), Emergency Services)
Ministry of Home Affairs
Address: The Department of Emergency Management, #30 Warrens Industrial Park, Warrens, St. Michael, Barbados.
Phone:+(246) 438-7575 / 421-6736 / 421-8516; Fax:+(246) 421-8612 / 438-7575
E-mail: cero@caribsurf.com
Website: Central Emergency relief Organization (CERO)
Contact person:
Ms. Judy Thomas, Director
Tel: +(246) 421-8134 / 438-7575 , fax: 421-8612
E-mail: jthomas@barbados.gov.bb; ps@mha.gov.bb
Alternative contact:
Robert Harewood, Programme Officer
Tel: +(246) 233-4266
E-mail: robert.harewood@barbados.gov.bb
Ministry of Home Affairs, Environment Division
Address: GPO Building Chapside, Bridgetown, Barbados
Tel: (+246) 228-8950 / Fax:(+246) 437-3794
Contact person: Minister Freundel Steward
Other contacts
Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva
Chief:
His Excellency Mr. Trevor Clarke
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Permanent Representative
Address: Chemin François-Lehmann 18a, 1218 Grand-Saconnex
Tel: +(41-22) 791-8500, Fax: +(41-22) 791-8509
Email: mission.barbados@ties.itu.int
UN System Coordination
UN Resident Coordinator
Ms. Rosina Wiltshire
Resident Coordinator / Resident Representative UNDP
Address: UN House - Marine Gardens, Hastings, P.O. Box 625C, Christ Church - Bridgetown
Tel: 001 (246) 467-6000, Fax: 001 (246) 429-2448
E-mail: rosina.wiltshire@undp.org, registry.bb@undp.org
Inter-Agency Support
Ms. De-Jane Gibbons
E-mail: de-jane.gibbons@undp.org
UN Country Team
Ms. Rosina Wiltshire: Resident Coordinator, UNDP System
Ms. Barbara Graham: Representative, FAO
Mr. Philip Cross: Representative, ITU
Ms. Veta Brown: Caribbean Programme Coordinator, PAHO/WHO
Mr. Tom Olsen: Area Representative, UNICEF
Ms. Roberta Clarke: Regional Programme Director, UNIFEM
Mr. Kemal Kurspahic: Representative, Caribbean Regional Office, UNODCCP
Ms. Ana Teresa Romero: Director, ILO
Mr. Neil Pierre: Director, Subregional Office for the Caribbean, ECLAC
Mr. Kwame Boafo: Director, Office of the Caribbean, UNESCO
Mr. Harold Robinson: Representative, UNFPA
Ms. Angelica Hunt: Director, UNIC
Ms. Loretta Charlemagne: Regional Adviser, UPU
Ms. Karen Sealey: Director, Caribbean Regional Support Team, UNAIDS
Ms. De-Jane Gibbons: Coordination Support, UNDP System
Updated: 5 September, 2006; UNDG:UNCT Barbados
PAHO/WHO Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Countries
Dr. Gina Watson, PWR-ECC
Office of the Eastern Caribbean Coordination, Dayralls and Navy Garden Roads, Christ Church, Bridgetown, Barbados
P.O. Box 508, Bridgetown, Barbados
Phone: (+246) 426-3860/426-3865/427-9434 / Fax: (+246) 436-9779
E-mail: [e-mail@cpc.paho.org e-mail@cpc.paho.org]
Website: [www.cpc.paho.org www.cpc.paho.org]
Other
Barbados Red Cross
Red Cross House, Jemmotts Lane, PO Box 300, Bridgetown, Barbados
Phone:(+246) 433-3889/436-6215, fax:(+246) 426-2052
E-mail: [bdosredcross@caribsurf.com bdosredcross@caribsurf.com]
CDERA member
Ms Judy Thomas, Director
Central Emergency Relief Organization
Cnr. James and Lucas Streets
St. Michael, Barbados
Phone:(+246) 4387329
E-mail: thomas@barbados.gov.bb; ps@mha.gov.bb
Country profile
Name: Barbados
Capital: Bridgetown
Population: 284,589 (July 2009 est.)
Area: 430 sq km
Coastline: 97 km
Population density: 648 inhab/ sq Km
Religion: Protestant 67%, Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
Lenguage: English
Ethnics group: Black 90%, white 4%, Asian and others 6%
Government: parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth
Currency: Barbados dollar
Position in IDH: 30°
Barbados, situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is a West Indian continental island-nation in the western Atlantic Ocean. After a brief claim by Spain in 1492 and later Portugal, Barbados became a colony and protectorate of the United Kingdom for over three centuries. The country currently maintains Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Located at roughly 13° North of the equator and 59° West of the prime meridian, it is considered a part of the Lesser Antilles. Its closest island neighbours are Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines to the west. To the south lies Trinidad and Tobago — with which Barbados now shares a fixed official maritime boundary—and also the South American mainland. Barbados's total land area is about 430 square kilometres (166 square miles), and is primarily low-lying, with some higher in the country's interior. The highest point in Barbados is Mount Hillaby in the parish of Saint Andrew.
Barbados, the easternmost Caribbean island, is a small and relatively flat coral and limestone island. It is brushed by tropical storms, hurricanes and tropical depressions frequently. Most recently, hurricane Lili damaged over 300 houses in September 2002 and Ivan killed one person and damaged over 300 buildings in September 2004. The most devastating hurricane of the past century was Janet in 1955, which killed 35 people, destroyed more than 8000 homes and left around 20,000 people homeless.
Other natural hazards to threaten Barbados are flooding, landslides, drought and soil erosion. The active submarine volcano Kick 'em Jenny, located at 260 km southwest of the island, poses a threat of tsunamis.
The national body for multi-sectoral coordination is the Central Emergency Relief Organization (CERO). It is made up of a National Disaster Committee, an Emergency Operations Centre, Emergency Management Teams, government ministries and departments, NGOs, Sectoral Standing Committees and District Emergency Organisations. As the national coordinating institution, it is responsible for activating the national disaster plan.
The National Disaster Committee is responsible for risk analysis as well as prevention, preparedness and response plans. The country is divided into 30 political constituencies, each of which has a District Emergency Organisation. These are run by volunteers who provide education and training and develop plans for initial emergency response.
The establishment of the Barbados Emergency Management Agency (BEMA) is underway in 2005. It will become a legal authority as laid out in the Disaster Management Act.
The Caribbean Uniform Building Code is currently used as the national model. A specific national code is being designed and a Barbados Building Authority is being set up in order to monitor and enforce the code. Some hazard mapping has been conducted, yet updating remains a challenge. Vulnerability and capacity assessments have been done for shelters, police stations, fire stations and hospitals. As for early warning, the meteorology office serves as a weather systems monitor and flood gauges have been established in areas at risk.
The Barbados Government Information Service facilitates the public awareness programme on national disaster management. Other public awareness initiatives are being undertaken by mass media institutions as well as schools. Disaster education programs exist at primary and secondary level, regularly aided by presentations from disaster agencies. In community disaster programs, local folklore, storytelling, poetry, drama and traditional calypsos are being used to inform the local public. Also, disaster exercises are regularly undertaken, including the annual TRADEWINDS exercise and the biannual FA HUM exercises.
Source: ISDR/the Americas
Urban indicators
| Indicator | 2030 |
| Total population (thousands) | 301.4 |
| Population in urban (thousands) | 161 |
| Population in slums (thousands) | N/A |
| Population in urban areas (% of total population) | 53.4 |
| 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) | 140.4 |
- Source: UN-Habitat - The data presented here is extracted from UN-HABITAT's Global Urban Indicators database.
- The data is drawn from different sources and based on 2030 estimates.
Climate change
Barbados' First National Communication on Climate Change to the UNFCCC (October 2001)
Progress
HFA P1 - Institutional and legal framework
HFA P2 - Risk identification and EWS:
HFA P3 - Knowledge and education:
HFA P4 - Risk applications:
HFA P5 - Preparedness and response:
Others Documents:
Web Links:
Barbados Coordination Profile; United Nations Development Group (includes Common Country Assessment - CCA, United Nations Development Assistance Framework - UNDAF, UN Country Team, Resident Coordinator's Office and more)
PreventionWeb Barbados Data and Statistics
EM-DAT Barbados Country Profile-Natural Disaster
ReliefWeb Country and Emergencies Barbados
MDG Profile: Barbados
