Hon Gerry Brownlee

Minister of Foreign Affairs

22 June 2017

NZ to share its disaster management expertise

Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced New Zealand will provide a workshop in Barbados to help upskill the Caribbean in disaster risk management.

“New Zealand knows that having the right people with the right skills in place before an event happens is essential to responding to it effectively, and this is what we will be sharing with the Caribbean,” Mr Brownlee says.

“Like the Pacific, the Caribbean is largely made up of small island states, vulnerable to natural disasters.

“The workshop will focus on what mix of skills and experience the participant agencies need to have in order to manage disasters, and participants will prepare practical plans based on their countries’ specific needs.

“Thirty-five people from disaster response and disaster management agencies across the Caribbean region will attend the two-day workshop later this month.

“The workshop, funded by New Zealand, will be run in partnership with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, and delivered by two emergency management competency experts from GNS Science,” Mr Brownlee says.

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