by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN)—As Caribbean nations face intensifying climate challenges, understanding and mitigating vulnerabilities is paramount for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer a transformative approach to identifying these critical areas, moving beyond traditional assessments to provide dynamic, data-driven insights.
Josiah Burkett, Senior GIS Officer in the Department of Planning, Ministry of Sustainable Development, highlights the pivotal role of GIS in this endeavour.
“My job entails using data and technology to help decision-makers make informed decisions. So what that means is we utilise geographic information systems, or GIS, which is essentially mapping tools to help collect, analyse, visualise, and help decision-makers see vulnerability and disasters in context to the environment. So, as it relates to working with NEMA and what we do, we help NEMA visualise one risk as well as assets. Critical infrastructure assets, such as shelters, such as vulnerable areas and communities, and other important information as it relates to storm surge, flooding, hurricanes, etc. How we do that is we train as well as assist in mapping these assets. We go into the field with drones, with GPS devices, with tablets, and we capture data. We then use that data on our GIS tools to visualise and create maps, and then the decision-makers, such as the head of NEMA or even the NEMA district reps, can visualise the information and plan for either disaster response or mitigation efforts.”
The Senior GIS Officer shared some of the challenges related to these efforts.
“Some of the challenges include getting accurate and up-to-date information. Data is always changing as time progresses, whether it’s population information or changes in community infrastructure. Persons are building all the time, or sometimes a building would become no longer in use. So we always need to have up-to-date information, and that’s a challenge when you have limited staff. So that’s another challenge, or resources such as the software and hardware. Those are primarily the main challenges, but we find ways to overcome them. Nonetheless, it just takes more time to update the information based on the limitations we have.”
“Smart maps” integrate diverse data layers, from population density to intricate weather patterns, to paint a comprehensive picture of vulnerability. This sophisticated layering enables the precise identification of communities and infrastructure most vulnerable to climate impacts.
It also emphasises the invaluable contribution of local knowledge in strengthening these analytical tools.
“So a vulnerable area is considered an area that is most likely to be harmed if a natural event, such as a storm, flooding, hurricane, landslide, would occur, and it would have a more devastating impact than usual. So vulnerability means the likelihood of an area or a person to be impacted by a natural or human event, such as a storm, a hurricane, flooding, or even pollution.”
According to Burkett, there is a role for citizens to play in recognising vulnerability in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Citizens know their communities better than anyone else. So, when a vulnerable event occurs or when your area is experiencing some of these natural or human-made events, we want you to document it [and] we want you to communicate it, because you are the ones being impacted. And the way you communicate that would help us now better prepare to help mitigate that vulnerability. So what persons can look for to determine if their area or their community is vulnerable or not would include low-lying areas, flat areas, especially those close to the coast or close to guts, that’s more likely prone to flooding. So, paying attention during heavy rainfalls, especially when storms are passing, if there’s flooding occurring, you are in a vulnerable area. You can also look for land slippage or mass movement of soil if there’s heavy rainfall or an event such as an earthquake, you are vulnerable to landslides or land slippage. And also storm surge, if you live on the coast and you realise that the water is coming closer and closer to where you live, you are exposed to storm surge, and you are in a vulnerable area. So those are some of the things that persons can look at in their community to identify if it’s vulnerable or not.”
This practical application underscores how technology translates complex data into actionable strategies, enabling authorities and residents alike to enhance their preparedness and response capabilities.
“The importance of historical knowledge. If you’re new to an area, it would help you prepare in the event that that vulnerability or that hazard will start occurring again. So, for example, if you’re new to a community and you are aware that this community is prone to flooding, when the rainy season comes, you prepare for that. You ensure that your house is prepared, your yard is prepared, the drains are cleared so that you are least likely to be heavily impacted by that. Sometimes you can’t avoid certain things, but the more you prepare, the less you’re impacted. If someone wanted to report a vulnerable area or a vulnerability incident in the area, what we would recommend is you document it. We believe citizens are also part of data collection. And if there is something happening in your area, such as flooding, you should take pictures. You should contact your NEMA district rep or NEMA themselves. Document what happened, who was affected, if there was some sort of major incident that’s out of the norm, and then we can add that to our data sets to help plan to prevent this from happening again.”
Burkett explained GIS facilitates crucial decision-making, using a tsunami vulnerability map as a compelling case study.
“So there is a vulnerability map for the Federation. Again, based on the challenges identified, it isn’t up to date based on some gaps, but it is useful in at least understanding which areas are vulnerable to what and how we can plan for future incidents… the Port Zante area shows if a tsunami wave of 100-feet was to hit the island, all the communities that would be impacted. As you can see, if you’re looking at the Port Zante area, a lot of the communities along the coast, including Irish Tongue all the way to the Ponds area, will be impacted. Now, this helps decision makers quantify how many persons may be impacted and also inform citizens of are you in that zone, that impacted zone, and where you should go so that you can be safe. So it’s another example of how data is important to communicate the risk of vulnerability of an area and how persons can plan and prepare for such incidents.”
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) empowers communities not only to recognise but also to actively participate in pinpointing the risks that threaten their resilience.
