scholarly journals Impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria on the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initial tsunami warning capability for the Caribbean region

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 1865-1880
Author(s):  
Victor Sardina ◽  
David Walsh ◽  
Kanoa Koyanagi ◽  
Stuart Weinstein ◽  
Nathan Becker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Response Times ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Tsunami Warning ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Temporary Reduction ◽  
Earthquake Detection ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Seismic Networks ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In September 2017, hurricanes Irma and Maria wreaked havoc across the Caribbean region. While obliterating the infrastructure in the Caribbean nations found along their path, both hurricanes gradually destroyed the existing seismic networks. We quantified the impact of the hurricanes on the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) initial tsunami warning capability for the Caribbean region relying on the computation of theoretical earthquake detection and response times after accounting for hurricane-related station outages. The results show that the hurricanes rendered 38 % of the 146 stations available in the Caribbean inoperative. Within the eastern Caribbean region monitored by PTWC the hurricanes exacerbated outages to an astonishing 82 % of the available 76 seismic stations. Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles suffered the brunt of both hurricanes, and their seismic networks nearly disappeared. The double punch delivered by two successive category 5 hurricanes added up to 02:43 and 04:33 min to the earthquake detection and response times, effectively knocking out PTWC's local tsunami warning capabilities in the region. Emergency adjustments, including the temporary reduction of the number of stations required for earthquake detection and ML magnitude release, enabled a faster response to earthquakes in the region than otherwise possible in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria.

scholarly journals Impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on the PTWC Tsunami Warning Capability for the Caribbean Region

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Sardina ◽  
David Walsh ◽  
Kanoa Koyanagi ◽  
Stuart Weinstein ◽  
Nathan Becker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Response Times ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Tsunami Warning ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Temporary Reduction ◽  
Earthquake Detection ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Seismic Networks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Successive Category

Abstract. In September 2017, hurricanes Irma and Maria wreaked havoc across the Caribbean region. While obliterating the infrastructure in the Caribbean nations found along their path, both hurricanes gradually destroyed the existing seismic networks. We quantified the impact of the hurricanes on the PTWC tsunami warning capability for the Caribbean region relying on the computation of theoretical earthquake detection and response times after accounting for hurricane-related station outages. The results show that the hurricanes rendered inoperative 38 % of the 146 stations available in the Caribbean. Within the eastern Caribbean region monitored by PTWC the hurricanes exacerbated outages to an astonishing 82 % of the available 76 seismic stations. Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles suffered the brunt of both hurricanes, and their seismic networks nearly disappeared. The double punch delivered by two successive category 5 hurricanes added up to 02:43 and 04:33 minutes to the earthquake detection and response times, effectively knocking out PTWC's local tsunami warning capabilities in the region. Emergency adjustments, including the temporary reduction of the number of stations required for earthquake detection and ML magnitude release, enabled a faster response to earthquakes in the region than otherwise possible in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria.

scholarly journals An impact assessment of the Child Growth, Development and Care Program in the Caribbean Region of Colombia

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 2099-2109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alcides de J. Padilla ◽  
Juan C. Trujillo
Keyword(s):  
Acute Respiratory Infection ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Care Program ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
Acute Malnutrition ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Growth Development ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This article aims to assess the impact of the Child Growth, Development and Care Program in the Caribbean region of Colombia by analyzing variables such as maternal childcare practices and indicators of the nutritional status and health of children under the age of five. To this end, the authors used the quasi-experimental technique Propensity Score Matching. Positive impacts included a decrease in acute diarrheal disease, and an increase in immunization and seeking treatment for acute respiratory infection or fever symptoms. However, the program had little influence on chronic and acute malnutrition in the region.

scholarly journals The Caribbean and its Linkages with the World

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (256) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauricio Vargas ◽  
Daniela Hess
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Financial Variables ◽  
The World ◽  
Trading Partners ◽  
Global Var ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

Using data from 1980-2017, this paper estimates a Global VAR (GVAR) model taylored for the Caribbean region which includes its major trading partners, representing altogether around 60 percent of the global economy. We provide stilyzed facts of the main interrelations between the Caribbean region and the rest of the world, and then we quantify the impact of external shocks on Caribbean countries through the application of two case studies: i) a change in the international price of oil, and ii) an increase in the U.S. GDP. We confirmed that Caribbean countries are highly exposed to external factors, and that a fall in oil prices and an increase in the U.S. GDP have a positive and large impact on most of them after controlling for financial variables, exchange rate fluctuations and overall price changes. The results from the model help to disentangle effects from various channels that interact at the same time, such as flows of tourists, trade of goods, and changes in economic conditions in the largest economies of the globe.

scholarly journals Identifying Users’ Requirements for Emergency Mapping Team Operations in the Dominican Republic

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 165
Author(s):  
Gregorio Rosario Michel ◽  
Santiago Muñoz Tapia ◽  
Fernando Manzano Aybar ◽  
Vladimir Guzmán Javier ◽  
Joep Crompvoets
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Geospatial Information ◽  
Data Infrastructure ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The Impact

In recent years, a growing number of stakeholders have been taking part in the generation and delivery of geospatial information and services to reduce the impact of severe natural disasters on the communities. This is mainly due to a huge demand for accurate, current and relevant knowledge about the impacted areas for a wide range of applications in risk-informed decision makings. The aim of this paper is to identify users’ requirements for emergency mapping team (EMT) operations in the Dominican Republic (DR). An online survey was applied to collect data from key users involved in the Inter-Institutional Geospatial Information Team in DR. Our findings suggest a set of users’ requirements for EMT operations: (1) standardization; (2) establishing and maintaining a spatial data infrastructure; (3) partnership; (4) effective communication among stakeholders; and (5) capacity building. A better understanding of the users’ requirements and the associated information workflows will lead to a superior level of readiness for EMT operations in DR. This knowledge will support future studies/practices at the local and national levels in the Caribbean region, which share similar challenges in terms of natural hazards and development issues.

A review of assessment indicators used by Healthy Municipalities and Communities Program in Latin America and the Caribbean region

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 714-729
Author(s):  
Raul Chaparro ◽  
Santiago Melendi ◽  
Marilina Santero ◽  
Mariana Seijo ◽  
Natalia Elorriaga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Promotion Policies ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Evaluation And Monitoring ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The Healthy Municipalities and Communities Strategy (HMCS) was developed by the Pan American Health Organization in 1990. Evaluation and monitoring are fundamental components of health promotion policies. The aim of this study is to explore the indicators used in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries to assess the performance of HMCS. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, BVSDE and Google Advanced Search for documents published between January 2000 and April 2016. We included only documents with assessment indicators of the strategy. All articles were independently assessed for eligibility by pairs of reviewers. We classified the indicators with a supporting framework proposed by O’Neill and Simard (Choosing indicators to evaluate Healthy Cities projects: a political task? Health Promot Int 2006, 21, 145–152.). Local level indicators figured far more prominently among countries and were distributed both in projects and specific activities. Regarding the evolution of the HMCS, indicators were reported in the five levels of analysis (local projects and activities, provincial, national and international networks). Empowerment was represented through the presence of active community organizations and different methods of community participation (forums, open hearing and participation maps). Public policies (such as for tobacco cessation) and bylaws adherence and changes in school’s curricula regarding healthy eating were frequently mentioned. However, this review demonstrated that impact indicators related to lifestyle changes or built environment are not clearly defined and there is a lack of indicators to measure progress in achieving change in long-term outcomes in LAC. We highlight the importance of designing validated indicators for measuring the impact of health promotion policies in partnership with each country involved.

Evaluation of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center’s Performance for the Caribbean Based on the Compilation and Analysis of Tsunami Messages Issued between 2003 and July 2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 89 (2A) ◽  
pp. 416-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Sardina ◽  
Kanoa Koyanagi ◽  
Nathan Becker ◽  
David Walsh ◽  
Charles McCreery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tsunami Warning ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Caribbean

scholarly journals Arribazones de Sargassum en la costa norte occidental de Cuba

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-30
Author(s):  
G. Arencibia-Carballo ◽  
J.M. Irañeta Batallán ◽  
J. Morell ◽  
A.R. Moreira González
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Caribbean Sea ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Tidal Zone ◽  
The North ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The Impact

The pelagic macroalgae finches of the Sargassum genus in the Caribbean Sea currently represent a very natural problem due to their negative impact on the tourism industry, fishing industry, the environment and society in general. This work presents an above report of Sargassum that occurred on the north western coast of the Cuban archipelago in March 2019. The macroalgae species identified in the tidal zone were Sargassum fluitans and S. natans, and the specific geographic area where the impact of the upheaval occurred was from the west of Matan-zas bay to Mariel bay. The finches of these macroalgae were cataloged with a moderate magnitude compared to other reports in the Mexican Caribbean and in the Dominican Republic. This order of magnitude was cataloged based on its covered area of 169.3 km and its distribution along the coast in large patches, but very fragmented, despite the prevailing winds from the first quadrant (from north to east) during this period. Other events of this type reported in Cuba and the Caribbean region are taken up and discussed. Keywords: Caribbean Sea, Sargassum fluitans, Sargassum natans, Cuba.

E-Government Development in the Caribbean

2011 ◽  
pp. 517-522
Author(s):  
B. Ubaldi
Keyword(s):  
International Cooperation ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Bahamas ◽  
Global Information Society ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Government Development

While in theory, the benefits of e-government are numerous, global experience to date indicates that in reality they remain much more elusive. Given e-government’s high impact on good governance and on the promotion of progress in developing countries, in order to better enable communities to benefit from e-government, it is important that the most adequate approach to the transition of a country or of a number of countries to the information society be identified in order for key issues to be addressed expeditiously, correctly, and effectively for an e-government that is at once as comprehensive as possible but also sustainable and meaningful. This is particularly true for a region such as the Caribbean, which already came late to the assimilation of the industrial age paradigm and which still has to determine its role in the global information society as well as its digital age. While it is common belief that for the majority of countries e-government development is more efficiently and more effectively targeted through national programs tailored to specific needs and characteristics, this is not considered to be the case for countries in the Caribbean region. Over the last five years, an unprecedented international cooperation for administrative reform and e-government capacity building has taken place in the Caribbean region (i.e., Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Vincent, the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad, Tobago, Turks, and Caicos Islands). Such an effort has involved many regional and international organizations (e.g., the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank, the Interamerican Development Bank, the OAS, etc.); a lot of work has been accomplished to assist countries in enhancing the application of ICT to government functions in order to advance public sector reform, improve government services, enhance knowledge management and decision making, and promote economic and social development. This international cooperation was carried out through a rich mix of ministerial consultations, working group meetings, meetings of experts, informal consultations, research and development, and country surveys. The rationale behind this kind of intervention was the conviction shared within the international community that a regional approach would permit dealing with the various issues related to e-government development more efficiently and more effectively.

Eragrostis unioloides (Chinese lovegrass).

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Angel Duenas-Lopez
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Distribution Range ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Tropical Asia ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Caribbean

Abstract Eragrostis unioloides is an annual grass or sometimes perennial, erect herb, rooting at nodes. Terrestrial, it grows in many dry as well as moist habitats. It is distributed in temperate and tropical Asia from southern Asia to Malesia and northeast Australia. It has been introduced in the southeast USA, Mesoamerica, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands and in tropical West Africa. It is a common weedy grass mainly in rice crops in its native range and in some crops in the Caribbean region. It is found principally in disturbed sites, such as roadsides and in damp places in its distribution range. It is cited as invasive in Fiji, the Hawaiian Islands and Mexico, but no further information is available about its impacts in natural habitats or on biodiversity in its non-native range.

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