In Central America, communities embrace disaster preparedness

In Central America, communities embrace disaster preparedness

In Central America, communities embrace disaster preparedness

Many of the most successful disaster reduction initiatives have been the result of community participation and ownership of both the activities and the expected results.

Local communities have always played a critical role in reducing their vulnerability to disasters. Well-organized and trained communities, who best know the hazards that surround them, assume responsibility and work in tandem with national authorities to reduce their risk, are key to ensuring sustainability of these initiatives. For many years, NGOs and local organisations have worked hand in hand with community groups, often with impressive results.

Today, thanks to a project to reduce disaster vulnerability in the Central American countries affected by Hurricane Mitch (funded by the Governments of Sweden and Great Britain) PAHO has also stepped up activities at the community level.

Almost 3,000 residents of the municipality of Moyogalpa, located on the volcanic island of Ometepe in the southern part of Lake Nicaragua, took to the streets last August to participate in what became the most all-inclusive educational and cultural disaster prevention activity ever organized in Nicaragua.

The "Disaster Day" featured a unique parade, of 15 floats that portrayed aspects of disaster preparedness and prevention. The theme of the floats depicted each sector's perception of their vulnerability and the risk they face living each day at the foot of the Concepcion volcano. The community was involved in all stages of the event – from planning, to designing and building the floats, to participating in the parade. All age groups (local school children designed the special T-shirts and caps that participants wore) and many different sectors were represented, displaying not only their capacity and creativity, but a willingness to take responsibility for decision making with regard to their collective security. Modest monetary prizes were awarded to the three winning floats and the winners destined the prize money for an activity related to disaster prevention in their community. For example, the director of the municipal health center used the funds to overhaul a generator that had sat idle for three years when the hospital received the donation of a more powerful one. With their small prize of US$350, the old generator (worth $7,000) was repaired, transported and installed and now the health center has a backup power source.

Aside from physical hazards, many at-risk communities face other obstacles when it comes to disaster preparedness and prevention: high rates of illiteracy and scarce access to basic technologies. Often the Internet is only vaguely understood and televisions are in short supply. In Central America, one solution was to produce a community-level radio soap opera. PAHO has joined forces with CEPREDENAC, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the ISDR to produce a four-part drama called "Tiempos de huracanes." The drama, which focuses on hurricanes and floods, presents segments on what can happen before, during and after these disasters. The story line contrasts the negative results of a lack of preparedness on the part of local communities with positive experiences. The drama serves as an educational tool about issues such as health, gender and migration in the disaster context. In Guatemala, they are considering adapting the script for the theatre. The radio drama is slated to air beginning in April and is expected to receive broad acceptance for several reasons: the target audience in Central America is very receptive to this medium, a large number of local and national radio stations have agreed to widely broadcast it and the inter-agency nature of the initiative touches on many issues.

For information on either initiative, contact pedcor@sol.racsa.co.cr (Disaster – Preparedness and Mitigation in the Americas, No 86, Jan 2002).