 The hurricane season has arrived and the Department of Infrastructure, Ports and Transport is one of the key government agencies tasked with disaster preparedness, monitoring, mitigation and response. Over the years, the physical, social and economic losses incurred as a result of natural disasters have exponentially increased. The impact of these events on developing countries is extremely harsh considering the wide-ranging setbacks to the development process. Numerous lives and livelihoods on St. Lucia and the wider region have been and continue to be affected by natural disasters. The impacts of the disasters are deeply related to socioeconomic conditions, tradition, culture and location of the communities. To minimize the damage caused by disaster, various efforts have been taken by government, local disaster committee groups and the international community including donor agencies. Some of these include, but are not limited to, the silting of rivers, culverts and drains, trimming of overhanging branches, debouching, slope stabilization, river bank protection, river training. Notwithstanding the participation and efforts of these sectors, we have observed that many of the disaster management programs have failed to be sustainable at the local level following the completion of the project. Without sustainability, disaster management efforts will not preserve. A critical component of sustainable disaster management is communities' participation in these activities. The emphasis of disaster management efforts must be on communities and the people who live in them. Unless we can ensure the sustainability of these efforts at the individual and community level, it will remain difficult to reduce the losses and the scale of tragedy. We at the Department of Infrastructure, ports and transport are pleased to announce and invite you to participate in a community-based cleanup campaign aimed at promoting a cleaner, healthier and safer environment for all residents. This campaign, which will take place throughout the morning of Friday, June 9, 2023, will involve a series of activities, including litter picking, trimming of overhanging branches, and cleaning of drains and culverts. Our aim is to encourage community participation in the country's effort at sustainable disaster management. The most common elements of community involvement are partnership, participation, empowerment and ownership by the citizenry. The DIPT recognizes the importance of a clean environment in promoting good health and well-being. As such, we are committed to pulling our resources to ensure a unified effort in minimizing risks of damage to loss of property and life. The Department of Infrastructure, ports and transport has therefore engaged businesses, individuals and other important stakeholders to achieve a cleaner and greener community. National Emergency Management Organization, NIMU, the St. Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority and the Department of Housing and Local Government, among others. We therefore invite all citizens of St. Lucia to join us in this noble cause by participating in the cleanup activities. We do acknowledge that this planned activity falls on a workday and some residents may not be able to participate. However, the message we want to leave with you is that community-based disaster management is not a one-off exercise, but rather a way of life and most importantly, we are all affected. The areas identified for cleanup are Area 1, Grand Riviere, Marisul Road, Area 2, Caribbean cinemas to Union Roundabout, Area 3, New Development, Bel Air, Area 4, York Hill, La Clare, Area 5, Calde Sack, from KFC to the Kamaki Building, Area 6, Black Bay View Fort, from the Early Childhood Development Center to Comfort Bay, Area 7 in Dennery, from the Dennery Mechanical Workshop to the Fisheries Complex or the Dito. Let's work together to make our community a better place to live in. For more information on how to participate in the campaign, please contact the Department of Infrastructure at 468-4307. Thank you.