Grenada resilience profile
This report summarizes the resilience situation in Grenada. The three islands of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petit Martinique comprise the country of Grenada, which enjoys a high status on the United Nations Human Development Index. Despite this, more than 37 percent of the population falls below the poverty line and unemployment rates are high. Additionally, the country is highly reliant on tourism, which has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The islands experience hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and flash flooding. The country lacks a comprehensive disaster management law and most communities lack early warning systems for tsunamis, but the country has developed its financial capacity through participation in several hazard insurance programs.
The report finds concerning issues in Grenada's state of preparedness. The primary gap in the legislative environment is the absence of a comprehensive disaster management law to govern domestic disaster risk management and guide foreign disaster relief. There are also gaps in guidelines to govern the relationships between stakeholders and national committees, and as a result, a gap in coordination and implementation. Most communities lack early warning systems to facilitate communication between the National Disaster Management Agency and communities, including farmers. There is also a severe lack of capacity at the local meteorological office. The government did pour investment into the agriculture sector in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. Many home, however, remain uninsured, with significant implications for families and vulnerable populations. Though the country is a member of Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility Segregated Portfolio Company’s insurance policy, the loss calculated from past rainfall related disasters was below the policy’s attachment point and did not trigger a payout. As a result, in 2017, Grenada sought donor assistance to purchase natural hazard insurance at an increased level of coverage to ensure that fiscal policies are not derailed by natural hazards. A concerted effort will be needed to properly equip Grenada in the face of multiple disaster risks.