SITE VISIT AND MONITORING REPORT HURRICANCE SANDY RECOVERY PROJECT IMPLEMENTED BY THE OFFICE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (ODPEM) Prepared by Margaret Jones Williams Environment and Energy Programme Advisor, UNDP And Sasha Shirley Environment and Energy Programme Associate, UNDP I. Background Project Information The Hurricane Sandy Recovery project will address recovery needs arising from Hurricane Sandy which impacted Jamaica on Wednesday, October 24, 2012. The main impact from the system was due to wind and storm surge and was mainly concentrated in the eastern region. The Government has identified the parishes of St. Mary, Portland, St. Thomas and St. Catherine as priority areas for recovery planning. The project is aimed at assisting the Government to establish a foundation for sustainable recovery for the most severely affected areas and to support and contribute to coordination activities. The main project output will be the development of a comprehensive cross-sectoral recovery strategy and plan, with emphasis on gender sensitivity, the restoration of livelihoods, and climate change adaptation. The two main outputs of the project are: Output 1: Establish foundation for sustainable recovery for the most severely affected areas and contribute to coordination activities Output 2: Comprehensive cross-sectorial recovery plan, with emphasis on gender sensitivity, the restoration of livelihoods, and climate change adaptation developed for St. Thomas, Portland, St. Mary and St. Catherine II. Programme and Project Information Programme Environment and Energy Project Title Hurricane Sandy Recovery Project Number 00084437 CPAP Outcome Outcome 6: Policy & institutional framework strengthened to manage natural resources including parks & protected areas & resilience built for the reduction of vulnerability to natural disasters & impacts from climate change Field visit Date Wednesday, June 19, 2013 1
Project Dates November 2012 to October 2013 Project Budget USD 100,000 Source of Funds UNDP BCPR III. Recommendations/action items from the last visit This was the first monitoring visit, so action items have been brought forward. IV. Purpose and objectives of the field visit V. Findings 1. To attend a handing Over Ceremony of funds to one of the communities impacted by Hurricane Sandy which is part of the Coordination of Recovery Efforts supported by this UNDP BCPR project. 2. To view first hand one of the communities (Chepstowe) in the parish of Portland, which was impacted by Hurricane Sandy, and specifically to see the Health Centre which also serves as a Community Centre and a designated Hurricane Shelter. The Chepstowe Health Centre is a Type 1 health facility which generally serves a population not more than 4,000. Services include: basic maternal and child health; health education, family planning, immunization and nutrition. 3. To view first hand the Skibo Primary School which had requested support from ODPEM for a roof to be put on a small lunch area and to witness ODPEM handing over of needed fire extinguishers. 4. To view first hand and meet members of the seaside community of Port Arthur Lane in St. Mary which was impacted by storm surge resulting in forced evacuation and loss of property. 5. To view first hand the area of Crooked River in St. Mary, the identified and approved relocation site for the community of Port Author s Lane. Output 1: Establish foundation for sustainable recovery for the most severely affected areas and contribute to coordination activities To date, utilising the funds under this project, ODPEM has established the temporary Recovery Secretariat which is staffed with a Recovery Coordinator, a Project Assistant and a GIS Specialist. Coordination efforts are in place to obtain information on all recovery efforts, all donor response and to build partnerships to aid the recovery efforts. The Chepstowe Health Centre was damaged during Hurricane Sandy, has been nonoperational since and remains the only Health Centre that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy that has not yet been repaired. The Health Centre is a Type 1 facility serving the communities of Bybrook, Skibo, Claverty Cottage and Chepstowe District. The Recovery Secretariat visited the Health Centre on Tuesday, June 04 to determine the extent of the 2
damage and to determine if the Health Centre was an appropriate beneficiary of funds donated by the Jamaican Diaspora in the United Kingdom in the amount of 4,000.00 (J$ 597,103.00). The total amount of funds handed over to the Health Centre was J$ 700,000 which included additional funds from ODPEM, based on the estimate of repairs. The funds will be used to repair the roof and return the Health Centre to a fully operational status. However, the Member of Parliament indicated that availability of water was still an issue to be addressed. During the site visit UNDP observed the damage to the Health Centre and witnessed the handover of the funds from ODPEM to the St. Mary Parish Council and the Ministry of Health in the presence of the Member of Parliament for West Portland Constituency (see Photo Record). The site visit also included the Skibo Primary School that had been under consideration for the donor funds. However, the Recovery Secretariat, in consultation with the Member of Parliament and the Ministry of Health had determined that the Chepstowe Health Centre had a greater need. ODPEM, however, donated needed fire extinguishers to the Skibo Primary School. At the seaside community of Port Arthur Lane, UNDP met with community members who had been impacted by Hurricane Sandy as storm surge damaged their homes. Community members related the experiences of the storm and indicated that they were happy to be relocating to the site at Crooked River. At Crooked River the site has already been prepared and foundations were under construction for the homes to be constructed by Food For The Poor (see Photo Record). UNDP was assured that the Host Community was well aware of the Relocated Community coming in, and the Host Community was accepting. The Host Community and the Relocated Community will all benefit from access to potable water and wastewater treatment, which neither of them have now. Additionally, land tenure will be regularized and all members of the combined community will have the opportunity for home ownership. ODPEM has also donated significant funds to complete site preparations as well as drainage works on the site. Output 2: Comprehensive cross-sectorial recovery plan, with emphasis on gender sensitivity, the restoration of livelihoods, and climate change adaptation developed for St. Thomas, Portland, St. Mary and St. Catherine Recruitment for the National Consultant to prepare the Recovery Plan has been completed and the contracted works are expected to begin on June 24. 3
VI. Findings shared with programme project staff and other key stakeholders This report will be circulated as follows: 1. UNDP Country Office Senior Management and Colleagues 2. UNDP Regional Service Centre / BCPR 3. Members of the Hurricane Sandy Project Steering Committee The site visit included the following persons: From ODPEM: Lt. Cmdr. Paul Wright, Disaster Recovery Coordinator Mr. Richard Thompson, Acting Director General ODPEM (Chepstowe only) From UNDP: Dr. Margaret Jones Williams, Environment and Energy Programme Advisor Ms. Sasha Shirley, Environment and Energy Programme Associate VII. Recommendations 1. The Recovery Secretariat to conduct another site visit after the Chepstowe Health Centre roof has been repaired. 2. The Recovery Secretariat to send report and photos of the Handover Ceremony to the Jamaican Diaspora in the United Kingdom as part of the process of transparency and accountability. 3. The Recovery Secretariat to communicate with the St. Mary Parish council on enforcement issues to prevent a new community establishing itself at the Port Arthur Lane site when the impacted community has been relocated. This is a site at high risk from high tide, the impact of annual Northers and storm surge during severe meteorological events. 4. UNDP CO to share findings of site visit with UNDAF Outcome 1 Joint Programme as the Chepstowe Community meets several criteria as discussed for implementation of the Joint Programme on Sustainable Water Management in Communities. 4
VIII. PHOTO RECORD Photo 1: View of Chepstowe Health Centre Photo 2: View of the damaged roof from inside the Chepstowe Health Centre Photo 3: (L-R) Mr. Desmond Goldbourne (MOH), Hon. Daryl Vaz (MP for West Portland), His Worship, The Mayor, Counsellor Benny White; Mr. Richard Thompson (Actg. Dir. Gen., ODPEM), Ms. Delmaris White of ODPEM MC for the event Photo 4: Lt. Cmdr. Paul Right, Recovery Coordinator speaking to members of the community gathered at the Handing Over Ceremony 5
Photo 5: View of the area needing a cover at the Skibo Primary School, in Portland which was not deemed as an immediate priority as the school is intact and fully functional Photo 6: View of the roof of a home at Port Arthur Lane where stones are used to hold down the roof. This was a two-storey dwelling and the top storey was removed by Hurricane Sandy Photo 7: (L-R) Sasha Shirley and Margaret Jones Williams of UNDP at the zinc perimeter of houses in the seaside community the Port Arthur Lane, a few feet away from the ocean Photo 8: Relocation site at Crooked River in St. Mary. Site preparation has been completed and foundations are under construction for homes by Food For The Poor. Margaret Jones Williams, Environment and Energy Programme Advisor Sasha Shirley, Environment and Energy Programme Associate 6