| Overview : Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) has been experiencing a phase of continued economic growth driven primarily by the expansion of the energy sector. As a result rapid urbanization occurred and has contributed to the high vulnerability of the twin island Republic to multiple natural hazards and increasing technological and human-induced hazards. ODPM has been given the national mandate for T&T as the lead agency for disaster risk management (DRM) which includes the responsibility for implementing the policy and programme for protection of critical infrastructure. By virtue of Cabinet Minute No. 1043 of April 29, 2010, the institutional framework and organizational structure have been established, and building national and community resilience to natural and anthropogenic hazards is an overarching objective. The alignment of Trinidad and Tobago with the Hyogo Framework for Action and Millennium Development Goals is ongoing and ODPM leads this process by mainstreaming disaster risk management into the plans and operations of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT). This joint capacity building project between UNDP and ODPM will make a contribution to improving DRM Policy, Strategy and Operations in T&T, and will assist in the development of a well-functioning DRM public education and early warning system (EWS). UNDP T&T has prior experience in working with the ODPM and has a worldwide network of expertise in disaster management directly available to this project that will provide support in the contexts of best practices, technical advice and operational support. The above mentioned project includes an output that seeks to establish a well-functioning emergency communication system (ECS), particularly as it relates to EWS, in one pilot area in Trinidad that will build the capacity of the community to mitigate the impacts of hazardous events. The UNISDR defines EWS as “The set of capacities needed to generate and disseminate timely and meaningful warning information to enable individuals, communities and organizations threatened by a hazard to prepare and to act appropriately and in sufficient time to reduce the possibility of harm or loss”. An ECS is one aspect of EWS and it allows persons or groups of persons to effectively communicate before, during and after a hazard event or an emergency. Effective emergency communication can help avoid the escalation of an event into a disaster. EWS, however, by and large, are not a regular feature of the DRM system of T&T. It is pertinent therefore, to assess the current status of existing EWS in the country in the face of increasing urbanization and vulnerabilities to disasters caused by the impacts of natural and anthropogenic hazards, and to develop and implement methods of addressing any gaps that may exist. Some of the key aspects of EWS in T&T that the project intends to address include: - EWS status/existence
- operations and equipment
- communication capacity
- roles and responsibilities of key actors
- hazards monitored
- triggers
- community awareness and perceptions of EWS, and
- the reach of early warnings and connectivity with emergency services, Disaster Management Units (DMUs) and ODPM as well as other relevant stakeholders of DRM in T&T.
On behalf of the GORTT, the UNDP is currently seeking a suitable professional to work with the Ministry of National Security to assess EWS in T&T, develop appropriate recommendations to close identified gaps and facilitate key activities toward the improvement of Emergency Communication and Early Warning Systems in T&T. | 
