The government will fill the posts of geoscientist and seismic technician this year to strengthen monitoring of La Soufriere volcano, Minister of Disaster Management, St. Clair Leacock, has announced.
Leacock, who is also the deputy prime minister and minister of national security, made the announcement during the handover of the renovated and retrofitted Volcano Observatory at Belmont, Rose Hall, on Monday.
He said the observatory will support advanced research, including volcanic monitoring, community-based early warning systems, and international university-led studies.
The new positions will help augment research and readiness, Leacock said, adding that upgrades to the national seismic monitoring network include installing eight new mountain stations and upgrading existing sites, all of which will be enclosed to reduce vandalism.
“There’s a lot of engineering, a lot of technical work here, and a lot of sophistication. I say this not just to applaud those who have done all of that great work, but also by way of appealing to those of us who are around, who some may say have mischievous hands, not to trouble those things that we did not put down and remove important equipment that lends to the safety of us Vincentians,” Leacock said.
He said the refurbished station represents continuity and praised the previous administration’s work in volcano monitoring and advancing disaster preparedness.
“My government will continue to ensure that the La Soufriere Monitoring Unit of NEMO continues to receive the support to ensure that La Soufriere volcano is constantly monitored and that it behaves itself,” Leacock said.
The disaster management minister also urged people not to damage or remove volcano monitoring equipment.
He said the retrofitting and transformation of the Belmont Volcano Observatory represents decades of preparation, institutional continuity, and national commitment to disaster readiness in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The observatory project was executed at a cost of EC$4.696 million through a concessional loan from the World Bank. The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) received a US$1 million grant for seismic stations and monitoring equipment to further strengthen volcano surveillance.
Leacock said the opening of this project “gives me a lot of pleasure” because of its historic importance.
He described NEMO as one of the country’s best-run public sector institutions and commended its director, Michelle Forbes, for outstanding leadership and professionalism.
(Reporting by API. Editing by iWN)
Come to think of it, I wonder if they caught the ghost who shot Mr. Cornelius John and left him crippled last year in Diamonds.
SVG: Beware of IMF and World Bank loans. Be very, very wary.