CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS – FEBRUARY 4, 2026 — The Nevis Disaster Management Department (NDMD) has partnered with global humanitarian organization Mercy Corps to enhance community-based disaster preparedness, resilience, and inclusive risk reduction in Nevis. This collaboration strengthens national readiness by focusing on prevention, education, and long-term resilience, not just disaster response.
This initiative is part of Mercy Corps’ Caribbean Resilience Initiative, which is establishing Resilience Hubs throughout the region. Nevis will host a hub in Hickman’s, a solar-powered, multi-purpose facility that serves as a center for education, training, food security, communications, and emergency support during crises.
SHIFTING THE FOCUS: FROM REACTION TO PREPAREDNESS
NDMD’s strategy prioritizes preparedness and mitigation as the foundation of disaster risk reduction. The partnership aligns with Nevis’ Multi-Hazard Awareness Calendar, a year-round public education campaign covering earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic hazards, drought, hurricanes, heat, coastal erosion, flooding, storm surge, and fire.
Through this partnership, Mercy Corps will:
- Support community awareness and education initiatives.
- Contribute to training and resilience programming.
- Participate in public expos, simulations, and symposiums.
- Strengthen inclusive preparedness for older adults, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
- Support psychosocial resilience, ensuring emotional recovery is addressed alongside infrastructure recovery.
COMMUNITY-LED, NOT ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL
A key aspect of this collaboration is its community-driven approach. Programs and training will be developed based on local needs identified through consultations, ensuring solutions reflect Nevisian realities instead of external models.
This includes:
- Hazard-specific preparedness campaigns
- School and youth engagement initiatives
- Faith-based and community organization participation
- Disaster communication training for local ambassadors
- Agriculture and food security resilience components within community gardens
STRENGTHENING COMMUNICATION AS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
The partnership also supports NDMD’s Integrated Disaster Communication Governance framework, ensuring reliable and accurate messaging before, during, and after emergencies. Community Disaster Communications Ambassadors will help counter misinformation and amplify official guidance.
REGIONAL IMPACT, LOCAL BENEFIT
Although Mercy Corps operates in over 40 countries, this initiative places Nevis among a select group of Caribbean islands benefiting from dedicated resilience infrastructure and programming. The collaboration highlights Nevis’s growing international recognition as a leader in proactive disaster risk governance.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR NEVIS
Residents can expect:
Expanded disaster education
- Community training opportunities
- Youth and school engagement
- Stronger preparedness culture
- Improved coordination between international partners and local agencies
- Enhanced capacity to withstand and recover from hazards
This partnership is more than a project. It marks a shift in how Nevis prepares for the future: informed, inclusive, and resilient.