Her Excellency, the Most Hon. Cynthia Pratt, Governor General, received in a courtesy call Ms. Phyllis Baron, Country Representative of the Office of the OAS General Secretariat in The Bahamas, at the Office of the Governor General, March 1, 2024. 

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Disaster Risk Management, the Hon. Leon Lundy, concluded his two-day Official Visit to Abaco with an assurance that disaster risk managers and planners are putting the necessary mechanisms in place to mitigate (lessen) the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes on local communities – country-wide.
 
This includes ensuring that the psychological, emotional and physical well-being of Bahamians who have been negatively impacted by storms in the past, are addressed as best as possible.

State-Minister Lundy spent Thursday (February 22), and Friday (February 23) in Abaco on the second leg of what is expected to be a country-wide mission designed to promote preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery, ahead of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season that begins June 1 and ends November 30. 

His first stop was in Grand Bahama (February 15-16).  The messaging will go beyond the 2024 Hurricane Season.

The decision to launch the Official Visits in Grand Bahama and Abaco was based on the fact that Grand Bahama and Abaco have been impacted by more hurricanes than any other area in the region – Category 5 Hurricane Dorian being the latest. Abaco, in particular, has experienced more major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) than anywhere else in the region over the past 175 years according to data collected and assessed over that timeframe.

During his stay in Abaco, Minister Lundy met with disaster managers and planners at the government and community levels, in addition to residents, business-owners and other stakeholders – the latter of which took place during a Town Hall Meeting.

Accompanied by Dr. Marcellus Taylor, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Risk Management; Mr. Alex Storr, Chairman, the Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA); Mr. Aarone Sargent, Managing Director, the Disaster Reconstruction Authority; Captain Stephen Russell, Director, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Mr. Cyprian A. Gibson, Deputy General Manager, the Water and Sewerage Corporation, along with technical teams from the DRA and Water and Sewerage, the State-Minister and his teams conducted assessments.

Mr. Lundy said the Town Hall Meeting allowed for an exchange of views on the way forward for the island as part of the government’s “holistic approach” that includes “buy-in” from all stakeholders.

“The main focus is that we have to have preparedness,” State-Minister Lundy said. “We have a hurricane season coming up. We want to make sure that everyone is prepared. That everyone is on the same page. That everyone has buy-in. That everyone understands the direction in which the government wants to go, where we want to make sure that it is fundamentally sound the way we react recover, but also how we prepare for a storm. That we are doing what we have to do on our side. That we are going to get the shelters ready; that we are going to ensure that they are internationally sound and ready to move forward. That this train is moving in the right direction and that we are going to get it done.

State-Minister Lundy said the merging of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA), and the Disaster Management Unit (DMU) into the Disaster Risk Management Authority (DRM Authority) will enhance the Davis Administration’s efforts to better serve Bahamian communities before, during and in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Under the new Authority, emergency services will also be improved to better assist the population with responses to natural disasters. These include “highly vulnerable” populations such as women, children, persons with disabilities and older adults.

The DRM Authority is anticipated to move into new office accommodations in the “near future” that will allow for a more coordinated approach in its planning, activities and functions.

“Our job as the new DRM Authority is to make sure that we are ready for any major disaster that happens,” Mr. Lundy said. “Dorian taught us many lessons.  I want to make sure that all Bahamians know that we are in this together and that we are going to make sure that everybody feels safe; that we are going to do our best to mitigate, that we are going to do our best to prepare for any storm and make sure that we minimize any damage.”

State-Minister Lundy said the next Official Visit will take place in the southern Bahamas where Technical Teams from the government agencies responsible for Disaster Risk Management have installed and commissioned the first set of 28 new generators that are to be installed in approved emergency storm shelters in various islands.

Generators have been earmarked to be installed in 20 shelters across the archipelago ahead of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, scheduled to officially begin in June 1, as part of the Administration’s year-round focus on mitigation, preparation, response and recovery to natural disasters.  

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Disaster Risk Management, the Hon. Leon Lundy, concluded his two-day Official Visit to Abaco with an assurance that disaster risk managers and planners are putting the necessary mechanisms in place to mitigate (lessen) the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes on local communities – country-wide.   This includes ensuring that the psychological, emotional and physical well-being of Bahamians who have been negatively impacted by storms in the past, are addressed as best as possible. State-Minister Lundy spent Thursday (February 22), and Friday (February 23) in Abaco on the second leg of what is expected to be a country-wide mission designed to promote preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery, ahead of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season that begins June 1 and ends November 30.  His first stop was in Grand Bahama (February 15-16).  The messaging will go beyond the 2024 Hurricane Season. The decision to launch the Official Visits in Grand Bahama and Abaco was based on the fact that Grand Bahama and Abaco have been impacted by more hurricanes than any other area in the region – Category 5 Hurricane Dorian being the latest. Abaco, in particular, has experienced more major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) than anywhere else in the region over the past 175 years according to data collected and assessed over that timeframe. During his stay in Abaco, Minister Lundy met with disaster managers and planners at the government and community levels, in addition to residents, business-owners and other stakeholders – the latter of which took place during a Town Hall Meeting. Accompanied by Dr. Marcellus Taylor, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Risk Management; Mr. Alex Storr, Chairman, the Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA); Mr. Aarone Sargent, Managing Director, the Disaster Reconstruction Authority; Captain Stephen Russell, Director, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Mr. Cyprian A. Gibson, Deputy General Manager, the Water and Sewerage Corporation, along with technical teams from the DRA and Water and Sewerage, the State-Minister and his teams conducted assessments. Mr. Lundy said the Town Hall Meeting allowed for an exchange of views on the way forward for the island as part of the government’s “holistic approach” that includes “buy-in” from all stakeholders. “The main focus is that we have to have preparedness,” State-Minister Lundy said. “We have a hurricane season coming up. We want to make sure that everyone is prepared. That everyone is on the same page. That everyone has buy-in. That everyone understands the direction in which the government wants to go, where we want to make sure that it is fundamentally sound the way we react recover, but also how we prepare for a storm. That we are doing what we have to do on our side. That we are going to get the shelters ready; that we are going to ensure that they are internationally sound and ready to move forward. That this train is moving in the right direction and that we are going to get it done. State-Minister Lundy said the merging of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA), and the Disaster Management Unit (DMU) into the Disaster Risk Management Authority (DRM Authority) will enhance the Davis Administration’s efforts to better serve Bahamian communities before, during and in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Under the new Authority, emergency services will also be improved to better assist the population with responses to natural disasters. These include “highly vulnerable” populations such as women, children, persons with disabilities and older adults. The DRM Authority is anticipated to move into new office accommodations in the “near future” that will allow for a more coordinated approach in its planning, activities and functions. “Our job as the new DRM Authority is to make sure that we are ready for any major disaster that happens,” Mr. Lundy said. “Dorian taught us many lessons.  I want to make sure that all Bahamians know that we are in this together and that we are going to make sure that everybody feels safe; that we are going to do our best to mitigate, that we are going to do our best to prepare for any storm and make sure that we minimize any damage.” State-Minister Lundy said the next Official Visit will take place in the southern Bahamas where Technical Teams from the government agencies responsible for Disaster Risk Management have installed and commissioned the first set of 28 new generators that are to be installed in approved emergency storm shelters in various islands. Generators have been earmarked to be installed in 20 shelters across the archipelago ahead of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, scheduled to officially begin in June 1, as part of the Administration’s year-round focus on mitigation, preparation, response and recovery to natural disasters.  

The Ministry for Grand Bahama hosted its second entrepreneurial Expo 2024 this month, this time at the Foster B. Pestaina Hall, Pro-Cathedral of Christ the King on February 21, 2024 where scores of budding entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses in Freeport gained valuable insight for their ventures from representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourism Development Corporation of The Bahamas, Bahamas Development Bank, Access Accelerator, Inland Revenue, Small Businesses Development Centre, Bank of The Bahamas, Grand Bahama Port Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, and UB Ignite. 

Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, the Hon. Chester Cooper and Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey encouraged attendees to take full advantage of the wealth of resources being made available at the Expo to empower them along their business journey. 

Also in attendance were Parliamentary Secretary Kingsley Smith; Senators James Turner, Kirk Russell and Randy Rolle and Permanent Secretary Joel Lewis. 

The West Grand Bahama Entrepreneurial Expo, the first for the year, was held on February 1 at St. Mary Magdalene Parish Hall in West Grand Bahama.

The Ministry for Grand Bahama hosted its second entrepreneurial Expo 2024 this month, this time at the Foster B. Pestaina Hall, Pro-Cathedral of Christ the King on February 21, 2024 where scores of budding entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses in Freeport gained valuable insight for their ventures from representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourism Development Corporation of The Bahamas, Bahamas Development Bank, Access Accelerator, Inland Revenue, Small Businesses Development Centre, Bank of The Bahamas, Grand Bahama Port Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, and UB Ignite.  Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, the Hon. Chester Cooper and Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey encouraged attendees to take full advantage of the wealth of resources being made available at the Expo to empower them along their business journey.  Also in attendance were Parliamentary Secretary Kingsley Smith; Senators James Turner, Kirk Russell and Randy Rolle and Permanent Secretary Joel Lewis.  The West Grand Bahama Entrepreneurial Expo, the first for the year, was held on February 1 at St. Mary Magdalene Parish Hall in West Grand Bahama.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister, the Hon. Vaughn Miller appealed to Bahamian community and business leaders, academics, thought-leaders, researchers and policy-makers to put their collective ‘shoulders to the wheel’ to address climate change.

Minister Miller expressed the urgent need in his remarks at a Global Summit put on by the Government and Public Policy Institute and Global Interdependence Center on February 15, 2024 at the University of The Bahamas. 

The theme for the conference was “Climate, Currency and Central Banks."  Among the topics explored: Enhancements and Impediments to Economic Growth; the Banking Ecosystem of the Caribbean (including the Impact of U.S. governance on the region); Currency Issues Surrounding the Bahamian Dollar, US Dollar; Central Bank Digital Currencies such as the Bahamian Sand Dollar; and Impacts of Climate Change, Hurricanes, and Sea Level Rise Through the Lens of Risk Management.

Said Minister Miller, “It is indeed crucial that our Bahamian researchers, academics and professionals look closely at climate change, its impacts on the economy, our social fabric, cultural identity and our environment, to determine the best pathways to mitigate its impacts locally and adapt to those things that we cannot change. For decades, our international partners have promised to address this most fundamental issue that is threatening our very existence.

“Some needed assistance has landed on our shores, but not nearly enough to facilitate the absolute paradigm shift necessary to ensure The Bahamas continues on its path to sustainable development and prosperity.

“We all need to connect the dots that will ensure our collective success and drive the actions that will lead us to the necessary advancements, so the next generation will be proud.

“We need the results of Bahamian-focused research to drive our policy decision-making processes.”

Minister Miller remarked that the past eight years have been the hottest on record with each of the past four decades warmer than the one that preceded it.

“Last summer, The Bahamas recorded ocean temperatures in excess of 93 degrees Fahrenheit, which resulted in massive coral reef die-offs across the archipelago.

“This is in addition to the continued spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease that our reef builders have been exposed to since 2019. Needless to say, climate change continues to be the single biggest challenge of our generation.”

He informed participants that a major feature of the Paris Agreement, which The Bahamas became signatory to in 2016, is to keep the rise in global temperatures well below 1.5 degrees celsius, based on pre-industrial levels.

“This is not an arbitrary number. The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change has warned that exceeding the 1.50C limit would have irreversible impacts on people, species and ecosystems.

“Those people, species and ecosystems are our people, our endemic species and our unique ecosystems.

“What is more troubling, it is becoming more and more evident that before the climate can stabilize at 1.50C, we will likely overshoot it,” said Minister Miller.

He applauded the efforts of the professional leaders to craft a vision for a comprehensive and forward-thinking agenda that will not only mitigate the country’s vulnerabilities but also position The Bahamas as a global exemplar of climate resilience and sustainable development.

“Central to that vision must be a commitment to develop climate-resilient infrastructure that will fortify our communities and critical assets against the ravages of extreme weather events. By necessity we are obliged to invest in robust coastal defenses, sustainable energy projects, and climate-adaptive urban planning to ensure the long-term resilience of our nation.

“Climate change presents one of the most pressing challenges of our time, with far-reaching implications for the environment, economy, and society at large.

“The urgency of addressing this existential threat requires bold and innovative solutions that transcend borders and disciplines,” he said.

He assured the participants that the government is “intentional” about recruiting the “best” talent to address the nation’s challenges.

He called on them to be intentional about their dialogue, and advised them that their ideas will form the basis of the next National Development Plan.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister, the Hon. Vaughn Miller appealed to Bahamian community and business leaders, academics, thought-leaders, researchers and policy-makers to put their collective ‘shoulders to the wheel’ to address climate change. Minister Miller expressed the urgent need in his remarks at a Global Summit put on by the Government and Public Policy Institute and Global Interdependence Center on February 15, 2024 at the University of The Bahamas.  The theme for the conference was “Climate, Currency and Central Banks."  Among the topics explored: Enhancements and Impediments to Economic Growth; the Banking Ecosystem of the Caribbean (including the Impact of U.S. governance on the region); Currency Issues Surrounding the Bahamian Dollar, US Dollar; Central Bank Digital Currencies such as the Bahamian Sand Dollar; and Impacts of Climate Change, Hurricanes, and Sea Level Rise Through the Lens of Risk Management. Said Minister Miller, “It is indeed crucial that our Bahamian researchers, academics and professionals look closely at climate change, its impacts on the economy, our social fabric, cultural identity and our environment, to determine the best pathways to mitigate its impacts locally and adapt to those things that we cannot change. For decades, our international partners have promised to address this most fundamental issue that is threatening our very existence. “Some needed assistance has landed on our shores, but not nearly enough to facilitate the absolute paradigm shift necessary to ensure The Bahamas continues on its path to sustainable development and prosperity. “We all need to connect the dots that will ensure our collective success and drive the actions that will lead us to the necessary advancements, so the next generation will be proud. “We need the results of Bahamian-focused research to drive our policy decision-making processes.” Minister Miller remarked that the past eight years have been the hottest on record with each of the past four decades warmer than the one that preceded it. “Last summer, The Bahamas recorded ocean temperatures in excess of 93 degrees Fahrenheit, which resulted in massive coral reef die-offs across the archipelago. “This is in addition to the continued spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease that our reef builders have been exposed to since 2019. Needless to say, climate change continues to be the single biggest challenge of our generation.” He informed participants that a major feature of the Paris Agreement, which The Bahamas became signatory to in 2016, is to keep the rise in global temperatures well below 1.5 degrees celsius, based on pre-industrial levels. “This is not an arbitrary number. The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change has warned that exceeding the 1.50C limit would have irreversible impacts on people, species and ecosystems. “Those people, species and ecosystems are our people, our endemic species and our unique ecosystems. “What is more troubling, it is becoming more and more evident that before the climate can stabilize at 1.50C, we will likely overshoot it,” said Minister Miller. He applauded the efforts of the professional leaders to craft a vision for a comprehensive and forward-thinking agenda that will not only mitigate the country’s vulnerabilities but also position The Bahamas as a global exemplar of climate resilience and sustainable development. “Central to that vision must be a commitment to develop climate-resilient infrastructure that will fortify our communities and critical assets against the ravages of extreme weather events. By necessity we are obliged to invest in robust coastal defenses, sustainable energy projects, and climate-adaptive urban planning to ensure the long-term resilience of our nation. “Climate change presents one of the most pressing challenges of our time, with far-reaching implications for the environment, economy, and society at large. “The urgency of addressing this existential threat requires bold and innovative solutions that transcend borders and disciplines,” he said. He assured the participants that the government is “intentional” about recruiting the “best” talent to address the nation’s challenges. He called on them to be intentional about their dialogue, and advised them that their ideas will form the basis of the next National Development Plan.