SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--A disaster management, planning and response meeting between initiator Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake and various stakeholders has led to concrete actions being drafted, according to a VROMI press release issued shortly after the meeting took place at Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall on Monday, November 17.

"My ministry is reviewing the national drainage plan and will be presenting to the Council of Ministers a revised plan along with a budget in order to start to address these challenges. UNESCO reports made a number of recommendations and we need to implement these and make sure the available financial resources are there to execute the projects," said Minister Lake, who chaired the meeting.

Officials of the Office of Disaster Management, the Disaster Coordinator, Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs, water and electricity company GEBE, VROMI, the St. Maarten Meteorological Department, the Department of Communication DComm, and the St. Maarten Marine Trades Association were present for the meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson was also in attendance and spoke of his experience with 1995 Hurricanes Luis and Marilyn.

It was stated during the discussion that the country's water management infrastructure such as trenches and drains had been built to alleviate flooding, not to prevent it. They were built according to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) study recommendations based on 20-, 50- and 100-year storm scenarios, the press release stated.

One conclusion was that the country's drainage plans need to be reviewed and building on hillsides and near drains and waterways needs to be looked at when it comes to spatial planning.

"Funding allocation for the post-disaster phase will also be addressed in a structural manner, along with a quick disbursement of funds to contractors who assist with the cleanup," Lake said.

"Internal and external communication are other areas to be addressed as well. The shortcomings due to infrastructure failure and the use of other communication avenues will be explored and executed.

"Public complacency was also discussed and how to address this will also be executed by the respective government agency. NV GEBE will work closely with Ministry VROMI to address challenges that were confronted with flooding where certain parts of NV GEBE infrastructure were partially submerged.

"The Marine Trades Association also made a valuable contribution where they spoke about vessels that needed to enter the Simpson Bay Lagoon and where these vessels should be moored within the Lagoon. A plan is also needed on how this should be done and where, and timely communication with mariners with respect to bridge openings. A mandatory vessel evacuation plan will also be reviewed.

"It was a very constructive meeting with an outcome of what actions need to be taken to address the challenges that were confronted in two weather-related events.

"Disaster Coordinator Clive Richardson also informed the group that the new Council of Ministers will receive a presentation about the national Disaster Management system. I am very pleased with the meeting and we achieved a lot," Lake concluded.

In the wake of the recent torrential rainfall early November and Hurricane Gonzalo mid-October, the outgoing VROMI Minister had said he wanted to address a number of areas where he saw room for improvement and wanted to hear from the stakeholders how these could be better addressed and dealt with, prior to the next hurricane season or weather-related event.