Context

Created in 2005, the Regional Intervention Platform for the Americas and the Caribbean (PIRAC) is the French Red Cross representative delegation for the Caribbean region, and its operational arm for humanitarian action and regional cooperation. PIRAC assists Caribbean populations in the event of major disasters, and works to build resilience in French territories, as well as in the countries of the Caribbean arc and the Guyana Plateau.

PIRAC started the READY 360° program in January 2023 co-financed by the INTERREG Caribbean program. The READY 360° program aims to build global and greener resilience in Caribbean territories by strengthening disaster preparedness and response capacities at all levels: from the individual and family, to organizations and businesses, right up to the level of regional institutional coordination of risk management. It is divided into two phases: phase 1 to be implemented in 2023, and phase 2 from 2024.

It aims to achieve 4 main objectives: (i) Strengthen regional coordination and legislative frameworks for disaster management; (ii) Prepare for, anticipate and respond to disasters and crises with greener preparedness measures. (iii) Improve information, awareness and preparedness of citizens to disasters and crises; (iv) Develop technical studies and research on disaster management with experts and academic actors.

Emergency professionals (disaster risk management and national Red Cross), entrepreneurs, the general public and young people are the main targets of the project, through actions to structure regional technical cooperation, emergency pre-positioning, training and the development of innovative educational tools. The fundamental principle of this new approach is to reduce the environmental impact of risk management practices.

The program’s institutional partners are the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and 8 Caribbean territories are involved in the program: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines.

One of the main focus of this program is to promote a risk culture and strengthen the resilience of economic players, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), in Caribbean territories. The Caribbean is a mosaic of highly heterogeneous socio-economic and political contexts. While each territory faces its own specific challenges and levels of vulnerability, there are similar characteristics: exposure to hazards, supply chains and logistical constraints, the weight of Micro Enterprises in the economic sector, etc.

General objective of the study

As part of the READY 360° program, PIRAC is looking for a specialized service provider to carry out this study in the Caribbean zone.

The main aim is to assess the level of preparedness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the fisheries and agriculture sectors in the Caribbean zone, in the face of natural disasters and health crises (human health).

Specific objectives of the study

• Assess the vulnerabilities et capacities of fisheries and agriculture professionals in the Caribbean zone in the face of the risks of disasters, crises and the impacts of climate change, and identify the elements of entrepreneurial preparedness that need to be strengthened in these sectors.
• Identify the key players to involve and the coordination mechanisms needed to provide the best possible support to fishing and farming professionals, and thus guarantee multiplier effects in each territory and on a regional scale.
• Draw up operational recommendations to support fishing and farming professionals in strengthening their preparedness for disaster risks, health crises (human health) and the impacts of climate change.