Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands

Impact of Impact of Development on Development on

Hazards and Hazards and VulnerabilitiesVulnerabilities

Dr Rufus W Ewing MBBS, FRCS DMDr Rufus W Ewing MBBS, FRCS DM

Geographic LocationGeographic Location

Demography & Socio-Economic Demography & Socio-Economic StatusStatus

• Population: 20,000 (2002 census)Population: 20,000 (2002 census)

• 43 Nationalities43 Nationalities

• Unskilled Labour Force: Haiti & Unskilled Labour Force: Haiti & Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

• Main Industries: Tourism & Offshore Main Industries: Tourism & Offshore Finance (about 70% of Revenue)Finance (about 70% of Revenue)

Development: Historical Development: Historical Prospective Prospective

• Pre-1980Pre-1980– Salt IndustrySalt Industry– Sisal IndustrySisal Industry– FishingFishing

• Post-1980Post-1980– Tourism based industries/Development Tourism based industries/Development

activitiesactivities

HazardsHazards

• HurricaneHurricane– 19451945– Donna (1960)Donna (1960)– KateKate

• FloodFlood

• ?Earthquake?Earthquake

• ExperiencesExperiences

Salt IndustrySalt Industry

• Compartmentalization of Natural Compartmentalization of Natural drainage systemdrainage system

• Poor maintenance of salt pan, Poor maintenance of salt pan, drainage pathways and flood gatesdrainage pathways and flood gates

• Increased vulnerability to floodIncreased vulnerability to flood

Salt PansSalt Pans

Tourism Development Tourism Development ActivitiesActivities• Increase in work force and resultant Rapid Increase in work force and resultant Rapid

population growthpopulation growth– Legal & illegal immigrationLegal & illegal immigration

• Port Activities Port Activities • Airline arrivalsAirline arrivals

– Pre-1980: 2 per weekPre-1980: 2 per week– Present: >60 per weekPresent: >60 per week

• Construction boomConstruction boom • Cruise ShipsCruise Ships

– 2 arrivals per week to increase to 3/week2 arrivals per week to increase to 3/week– Expected arrivals of 500,000/yr by 2010Expected arrivals of 500,000/yr by 2010

VulnerabilitiesVulnerabilities

• Rapid growth in population with:Rapid growth in population with:– Deficient/lack of effective surveillance Deficient/lack of effective surveillance

systemssystems– Substandard Housing and living conditionsSubstandard Housing and living conditions

•Hurricane resistant sound housesHurricane resistant sound houses

•Lack of proper Liquid and solid waste disposalLack of proper Liquid and solid waste disposal

• Inadequate water suppliesInadequate water supplies

– Increase in communicable diseasesIncrease in communicable diseases

VulnerabilitiesVulnerabilities

• Depletion of fresh water tableDepletion of fresh water table

• Desalination Plants to replace Water Desalination Plants to replace Water Catchment CisternsCatchment Cisterns

• Impact of Marina development on Impact of Marina development on water table-and drainage patternwater table-and drainage pattern

• Reclaim of swamp land for Reclaim of swamp land for development purposes and its effects development purposes and its effects on floodingon flooding

Providenciales International Providenciales International AirportAirport

Airport Vulnerability to Airport Vulnerability to HazardsHazards

• Airline crashAirline crash

• Airport crash simulation exercisesAirport crash simulation exercises

• Terrorism Terrorism

• FloodingFlooding

• Airport Disaster PlanAirport Disaster Plan

• Mass Casualty PlanMass Casualty Plan

Cruise Ship IndustryCruise Ship Industry

• Legislations & RegulationsLegislations & Regulations

• Port Health and Quarantine Port Health and Quarantine proceduresprocedures

• Vendors & Food handlers regulationVendors & Food handlers regulation

• Communicable diseasesCommunicable diseases

• Sewage ManagementSewage Management

• Coral Reef DegradationCoral Reef Degradation

Capacity BuildingCapacity Building

• Functional Capacity of Health Functional Capacity of Health Facilities in disasters-50 personsFacilities in disasters-50 persons

• Physicians -14Physicians -14

• Paramedics-0Paramedics-0

• EMT-0EMT-0

• First responders and Red CrossFirst responders and Red Cross

• Fire ServiceFire Service

Natural Hazards

Development

Disaster

Man-made Hazards

Mitigation

Capacity Building

Inter-agency Collaboration & Response

International Collaboration

Evaluation

Level of Preparedness