This Act provides for the effective organization and management of disasters and other emergencies in Barbados. It ensures the public is informed in cases of hazard, disaster or emergency and establishes public participation provisions on policies and programmes, among others.
Active transparency (Sections 5, 8, 9 and 29)
National database and geographical information system: The Director shall in conjunction with other agencies, identify, prepare and maintain a national database and a geographical information system that include information on (i) areas, structures, institutions; and (ii) those persons who are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of natural disasters.
Policy Review: When the Policy Review is approved by the Minister with or without amendments, the Director shall by notice publish the Review in the Official Gazette and in each daily newspaper circulating in Barbados.
Emergency Management Plan: The Emergency Management Plan shall include procedures for or related to the notification of the public in Barbados and elsewhere of the existence of a threatened hazard, disaster or other emergency and the state of affairs during a threatened hazard or in the event of the aftermath of a disaster or other emergency.
National Emergency Broadcast System: the system shall enable the Government to broadcast emergency announcements directly from the Emergency Operations Centre to the public on such frequency or in such manner as is specified in a memorandum of understanding between the Government and a person who is licensed to operate a telecommunications station under the Telecommunications Act or any enactment amending or replacing that Act.
Participation in plans, programmes and policies (Sections 17, 19 and 25)
Order delimiting categories of vulnerable persons or areas: Before approving the draft order, the Minister shall publish in the Official Gazette and in each daily newspaper a notice listing the category of persons or the areas that are to be declared to be vulnerable. The Director shall, by notice in the Official Gazette and in each daily newspaper circulating in Barbados, invite submissions from the public relating to the contents of a draft area plan. The Director shall allow a period of not less than 4 weeks and not more than 6 weeks for the receipt of the submissions. From the date of the invitation to the public, the Director shall, on written application by any person, permit access to any technical studies used in the preparation of the draft area plan. Any amendments shall also comply with the aforegoing.
Right to appeal (Section 27)
Any person who is aggrieved by the provision of an area plan for a vulnerable area and who desires to question the validity of the plan or of any provision contained in the plan on the grounds that (a) it is not within the powers of this Act; or (b) any requirement of this Act has not or any Regulations made under this Act have not been complied with in relation to the approval or preparation of the plan, may, within 6 weeks from the date on which the Notice is published in the Official Gazette make an application to the High Court under this section for judicial review.
Environmental education (Section 5g)
The Director shall conduct programmes of public information and education on emergency management.
