The Virgin Islands is hosting national disaster management coordinators and regional hazard experts for the 17th meeting of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency’s Technical Advisory Committee, officials said. The meeting brings together representatives from 20 participating states, including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Cayman Islands, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, the Republic of Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Virgin Islands.
Sharleen DaBreo-Lettsome, who serves as chair of the committee from April 2026 to April 2027, said the meeting is intended to strengthen regional resilience through coordinated disaster management planning.
“Caribbean peoples and states rely on each other for comprehensive disaster management support through CDEMA mechanisms such as the TAC,” Mrs. DaBreo-Lettsome said. “This approach of regional cooperation makes us more self-sufficient because we are in a position to better anticipate and respond to all kinds of risks.”
Mrs. DaBreo-Lettsome said that improving coordination is necessary as hazards become more complex and frequent, adding that adjustments to existing strategies will be a focus of the meeting.
“We have a strong regional strategy and are moving in the right direction, but this year’s meeting will help make adjustments to account for a hazard landscape that is changing by the day,” she said.
Jasen Penn, the Virgin Islands’ director of disaster management, said the discussions will include updates to the regional comprehensive disaster management plan, as well as reviews of CDEMA’s programs and activities at both regional and national levels.
“This is an opportunity for all the participating states to advocate for our individual needs, and to share what we have learned from recent incidents and hazard impacts,” Mr. Penn said.
Officials said the meeting is part of ongoing efforts to improve collaboration among Caribbean states in preparing for and responding to natural hazards and emergencies.
