The International Organization for Migration(IOM) has conducted the first of six national workshops on Climate Change and Human Mobility. The IOM believes that this is a timely conversation in light of the recent volcanic activity in the region.
One participant of the Office of Disaster Management agrees with the IOM that in light of present conditions, these conversations must happen.
Speaking to the Government Information Service (GIS), he said, “Human Mobility is an important component of Emergency Management. In recent times, post Erika for example, … we realize a trend in that a number of persons were displaced internally; post Erika an entire community had to be relocated…post Maria a number of persons would have left Dominica to neighboring countries seeking refuge…This has sparked the discussion around Human Mobility to ensure that we have plans and policies in place to govern how people move, where they move and to track that movement and it’s not because we want to know people business, it is really to help decision makers put the necessary policies in place to ensure that the basic human rights are met”.
He said the information will help in updating the National Evacuation Plan to cater for external movement of persons out of Dominica as well as to include the movement of persons into Dominica.
Further, he explained that even in cases where Dominica is not affected we have a responsibility as part of CARICOM to provide refuge to our sister islands.
