Index of Governance and Public Policy in Disaster Risk Management (iGOPP): National Report for Trinidad and Tobago
Date
May 2020
The iGOPP overall score for Trinidad and Tobago is 11,53% , which points to a “Low” level of favorable governance conditions for DRM in the country, according to the iGOPP classification. This result is influenced by two main factors: the absence of a comprehensive disaster risk management (DRM) legislation, since the Disasters Measures Act (Ch.16:50, Act 47 of 1978) the only regulation governing disaster related issues at national level is focused on disaster response; and a general absence of DRM responsibilities explicitly defined on sectorial and territorial regulations. Despite this low score, it is important to acknowledge the steps the country has taken towards more modern disaster risk reduction/management approaches. For instance, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) was established by Cabinet Minute in 2006, replacing the National Emergency Management Agency. Also, the country has been a participating state of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) since the inception of these organizations. However, these processes still have not been accompanied by the adoption of comprehensive DRM regulations.
Another important tendency observed in Trinidad and Tobago is the mainstreaming of DRM criteria into development policy. The National Development Strategy “Vision 2030” explicitly includes references to DRM and Climate Change Adaptation, although at the time of the iGOPP application, this policy was still a draft under consultation. The iGOPP methodology is based on written evidence of policy instruments and regulations for natural disaster risk management at a point in time, independent of actions taken by a country towards disaster risk management. In this sense, iGOPP does not measure the disaster risk management performance of a country, but whether the country has the legal, institutional, and budgetary conditions (i.e. governance) in place that favor the implementation of effective public policies in disaster risk management.
Based on the disaster risk management governance information collected in Trinidad and Tobago until October 2017.
Another important tendency observed in Trinidad and Tobago is the mainstreaming of DRM criteria into development policy. The National Development Strategy “Vision 2030” explicitly includes references to DRM and Climate Change Adaptation, although at the time of the iGOPP application, this policy was still a draft under consultation. The iGOPP methodology is based on written evidence of policy instruments and regulations for natural disaster risk management at a point in time, independent of actions taken by a country towards disaster risk management. In this sense, iGOPP does not measure the disaster risk management performance of a country, but whether the country has the legal, institutional, and budgetary conditions (i.e. governance) in place that favor the implementation of effective public policies in disaster risk management.
Based on the disaster risk management governance information collected in Trinidad and Tobago until October 2017.
