NASSAU, The Bahamas - Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction, the Hon. Iram Lewis stated that his Ministry is ensuring that appropriate measures are in place for the safety of all during the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

He made his contribution to the 2020/2021 Budget Debate in the House of Assembly on Monday, June 15, 2020.

The government last year established the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction to bring new focus to the handling of disasters, natural or manmade.

In this vein, the Ministry has oversight of the newly instituted Disaster Reconstruction Authority, which is responsible for repairs and rebuilding in a declared disaster zone, and the National Emergency management Agency, responsible for preparation, mitigation, and coordinating immediate response plans.

The 2020/2021 Budget has allocated an estimated $17, 736,100 for recurrent and capital funding for of the Ministry and its agencies.

“Since the creation of my Ministry we have worked aggressively on developing various policies to enhance the country’s preparation for and response to disasters,” Mr. Lewis said.

With the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme, the University of the West Indies, the University of The Bahamas and other stakeholders, the Ministry was able to develop a Policy Framework on Resilient Recovery in February 2020.

“The framework focuses on effective recovery planning and operations to enhance resilient development. It will also reference the institutional arrangements that must be in place to achieve desired outcomes.” The Minister said.

He disclosed that the first draft was received and it identified the following five focal points:

• Safety and security;
• Access to infrastructure and services;
• Community engagement and partnership;
• Livelihoods and economic development; and
• Institutional and capacity development.

Mr. Lewis said that his Ministry and relevant stakeholders would advance the framework through various stages of development.  He then provided an update of such.

He assembled a group of professionals comprising engineers, architects and contractors to discuss the way forward on revising the country’s building codes. Other aspects of the framework will be discussed, in due course, as a means to improving overall mitigation efforts.