Sustainable Development calls for “Smarter”
Living is the theme of the latest and largest issue of Disaster Digest produced
by the Department of Disaster Management (DDM).
With
sub-headings focussing on issues like sustainable management; green living;
eco-fashion; health, wellness and good nutrition and learning to love the
outdoors, the articles in the Disaster Digest are informative and inspiring and
are based on the concept of providing safe, green and healthy activities to
ensure smarter living and community development practices .
Expounding
on the theme of the publication, DDM Director, Ms. Sharleen DaBreo noted that
“sustainable development has long been a key principle on which governments
around the world have based their development agendas.”
She
added that, “With finite resources shrinking and indiscriminate consumption and
development patterns threatening the very existence of some natural resources,
sustainable development is becoming better understood. There is a growing need for decision
makers to focus more on combining measures for protecting the environment,
mitigating and preparing for the impact of hazards, adapting to climate change
and making every effort to promote energy and water conservation.”
The
DDM Director noted too that it is no longer acceptable to pursue economic or
infrastructural development at any cost and observed that, “a concerted effort
is being made to ensure that development is sustainable and that proper balance
is created between consumption/utilisation of resources, the impact on the
environment and their ability to regenerate for consumption by future
generations.”
According
to Ms. DaBreo, sustainable development requires a collaborative approach where
we must recognise our individual roles as “stakeholders in the process with a corresponding
responsibility to reduce our environmental footprint by being more cognizant of
the impact of our actions on the environment.”
The
significance of this collaborative approach is emphasised by the decision to
place on the cover of the magazine, the Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural
Resources and Labour, Dr. the Honourable Kedrick Pickering surrounded by
representatives from Government departments/units and private companies making
the Green Pledge in recognition of the need to reduce the size of their carbon
footprint and their overall contribution to climate change.
The
Disaster Digest contains 28 articles
which are spread over 104 pages for what is the largest publication in the
history of the magazine. The articles address issues such as Repositioning Disaster
Resilience in the Development Agenda: The VI Experience; Making Schools Safer;
The Hazard Landscape of Small Caribbean State; Building a Cleaner, Greener BVI;
Investing in Your Eco-System; Wellness and the Mind; Eating Healthy without
Breaking the Bank.
Energy
and water conservation are also prominently featured with articles such as
Building Smart Structures; My Hospital is a Smart Hospital; Make it Green and
Water: An Endangered Resource. The magazine also includes three pictorials, the
photographs for one which were provided by His Excellency, Governor Boyd Mc
Cleary and features some of the most amazing places to see in the BVI.
The
Disaster Digest is produced every two years by the Department of Disaster
Management. It continues to be provided to its readers free of cost as a result
of the many advertisers and sponsors who have contributed to its
production. It is
considered to be the Caribbean journal on disaster management practices and has
maintained consistency in the quality of its content over the years.
Copies
of the magazine are available at the Department of Disaster Management and will
soon be accessible via the DDM website at www.bviddm.com for free
download.
Photo Caption: Cover of the latest issue of Disaster
Digest, a publication by the Department of Disaster management which features
relevant issues in disaster risk reduction.
