Tuesday,
July 19 – As part of an agreement with
the University of Portsmouth in the UK, the Department of Disaster Management
(DDM) will soon benefit from landslide maps of vulnerable areas that are being
developed by a visiting intern.
Mr. Leo
Skelsey, a technical intern from the University of Portsmouth, England, is in
the Virgin Islands for four weeks working with the DDM to investigate landslide
maps of Tortola. His work will focus on identifying critical infrastructure
that may be vulnerable in the event of major landslides. Mr. Skelsey, a post
graduate student majoring in Crisis and Disaster Management, will assist in improving
existing landslide maps by using a unique numerical scoring system. The
likelihood of landslides in vulnerable areas will be evaluated through this
practical method.
In
describing the work he is doing with the DDM Mr. Skelsey said, “I will utilize
existing data and current models, topographic and land use data including
digital elevations models, contour maps and field assessments to create a
scoring system that will be applicable and practical for use by the DDM. More
specifically, the maps to be produced as part of my work will show the
vulnerability of critical infrastructures to landslides.”
Director of the DDM, Ms. Sharleen DaBreo said, “We are pleased to be able to accommodate technical interns such as Mr. Skelsey from the University of Portsmouth. Leo is the fourth student who has joined us
over the last three years. His work will provide us with detailed information
on the vulnerability of buildings against landslides and how best to represent
that data. One of the aims is to use the data to improve the information that
we currently have on landslides. This project is timely and fits well into the
overall hazard mapping activities currently being undertaken by DDM and its
partners.”
A report
documenting the findings with approaches and methods that could be used to
provide detailed, effective and accurate assessment for other areas of the VI
will be presented to the DDM at the end of the internship. Mr. Skelsey’s
internship is self-funded and all data collected will be presented to the
Government in a format suitable for future use.
