Each year, the United Nations’ International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction provides an opportunity to highlight PIRAC’s efforts to strengthen disaster prevention and resilience in the Caribbean. Through initiatives such as the Paré pa Paré, Fok Nou Paré program and the READY 360/3 Oceans regional awareness campaign, PIRAC is committed to protecting the most vulnerable communities on a daily basis.
Reducing disaster risk means building a more resilient future for the next generation
The 2024 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction focuses onthe role of education in protecting and empowering children for a disaster-free future, under the theme ” Empowering the next generation to build a resilient future “. Many disasters, often exacerbated by climate change, seriously threaten the lives and well-being of around one billion children worldwide, according to UNICEF.
Empowering young people and children, particularly through education, can be one of the keys to enabling them to protect themselves and become agents of change within their families and communities by sharing what they have learned. This vision particularly resonates with PIRAC, which will shortly be conducting a second regional awareness campaign based on these same convictions, to strengthen the resilience of Caribbean communities in the face of disasters.
A regional awareness campaign to promote solutions to climate change
Launched in 2020 and running until 2023, the first awareness campaign was designed to address the lack of knowledge about the risks associated with natural hazards in the context of climate change. This regional initiative targeted the territories of Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. Based on the promotion of best practices, the overall aim of the campaign is to encourage sustainable behavior change to reduce people’s vulnerability to the region’s increasingly frequent and intense climate hazards.
The main objective is to create reflexes to educate the populations concerned to act and react appropriately in crisis situations. The aim is also to highlight the adaptation solutions already in place to combat the effects of climate change, and, above all, to foster the resilience of local communities.
A retrospective of actions taken
Through the first campaign, several awareness-raising actions were carried out:
- 2020: Promotion of best practices on social media, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, to better prepare communities for natural hazards.
- 2021: Creation of two comic strips focusing on the inclusion of vulnerable people and the prevention of gender-based violence in disaster situations: https: //pirac.croix-rouge.fr/project/bande-dessinee-alerte-jaune-ouragan/
- 2022: Launch of a flagship action of the “The climate is changing… and you?” campaign on International Disaster Reduction Day in October: https: //pirac.croix-rouge.fr/campagne-sensibilisation-ready-together-2022-climat-change-et-vous/
- 2023: Highlighting 10 climate change adaptation initiatives in the Caribbean, illustrating the resilience efforts of local communities: https: //pirac.croix-rouge.fr/10-initiatives-dadaptation-au-changement-climatique-ready-together-2023/
A new campaign in preparation
Building on the success of the first campaign, PIRAC is currently preparing a new regional awareness campaign.
The central theme : the citizen’s role in preparedness and safety in the face of disasters and the impacts of climate change. Appropriate messages will be disseminated to reach vulnerable groups. 8 Caribbean territories will be involved: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines.
To mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, a teaser video in the form of a micro-trottoir has been produced, featuring testimonials from citizens in Guadeloupe, Antigua & Barbuda and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines:
“Paré pa Paré”: a committed year-round program
Since 2022, the “Paré pa Paré” program has been criss-crossing Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint-Martin, offering a range of activities designed to raise awareness of seismic risks among the general public, and more specifically among young people, and to inform them of the preventive measures to adopt and the protective measures to put in place.
In 2024, active awareness of seismic risks
In 2024, the “Paré pa Paré” program continues to roll out its efforts, and to date has taken part in 16 awareness-raising events involving over 1,050 beneficiaries:
- 4 events in schools, aimed at raising awareness among pupils from an early age.
- 7 training courses for community players, to reinforce their skills and knowledge of seismic risks.
- 5 events for the general public, to reach a wider audience and engage the community in prevention.
Raising awareness among the younger generation
Beyond these events, the program has also had a significant impact in the school environment. Over 200 CM1, CM2 and 6ème pupils benefited from educational activities on seismic risks, thanks to teachers trained in the “Paré pa Paré” tools. In addition, more than 1,500 pupils have been made aware of the issue during extracurricular activities, thanks to the training of extracurricular staff using our tools.
A promising dynamic
To date, in 2024, the “Paré pa Paré” program has reached 2,750 beneficiaries. In addition, our diagnostic efforts have enabled us to meet 50 disaster risk reduction stakeholders in Martinique, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy.
These initiatives testify to PIRAC’s ongoing commitment to raising awareness and preparing communities for seismic risks, while strengthening local resilience.