Stakeholder Engagement for Natural Hazards Investigations in the Caribbean (SENHIC) Active

A Region Vulnerable to Hazards

Many Caribbean countries and U.S. Caribbean territories have been severely impacted by natural hazards such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and landslides. These hazardous events can exacerbate preexisting vulnerabilities such as health risks (e.g., contaminated water supplies), and conditions are expected to worsen with climate change. Some natural hazards impacting these small islands are driven by regional-scale processes that are linked to those of neighboring countries. Collaborative investigations on regional-scale hazards such as coastal storms, flooding, sea level rise, freshwater scarcity, earthquakes, droughts, and coral reef degradation will help us to better understand these physical processes and develop more accurate numerical models to predict their impacts, which could reduce loss of life and property.

USGS Natural Hazards Research in the Caribbean

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Building Relationships to Enhance Natural Hazards Science

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As part of the Stakeholder Engagement for Natural Hazards Investigations in the Caribbean (SENHIC) project, the USGS team aims to:

• Connect with scientists who are conducting, or have conducted, natural hazards research in the Caribbean;
• Build relationships with local experts in Caribbean countries and U.S. territories to learn about natural hazards of primary concern, mitigation efforts, and areas of overlapping interest;
• Construct a database of local experts to lay the groundwork for future collaborations;
• Inventory and create a list of regional natural hazard resources;
• Develop a framework for collaborating with international partners on natural hazards research in the Caribbean; and
• Document engagement strategies, best practices, key takeaways, and lessons learned.