Crisis Support and Disaster Response. in Latin America and the Caribbean

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1 Crisis Support and Disaster Response in Latin America and the Caribbean The Pan American Agenda of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH), and the resulting 2010 Implementation Declaration provide a framework for regional coordination and capacity building focused on sustainability, risks and vulnerability, land use planning, economic and social progress, biodiversity and climate change. Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have increasing populations (urban and peri-urban), pressures on their ecosystems and have seen an increase in the impacts of natural disasters over the last decade. In Latin America, seventy-five percent of the population resides in urban areas, exceeding the global forecasts and therefore the most urbanized region of the developing world (AR4, 2007). Over the last several years the global community has become painstakingly aware of the ability and inabilities of governments, states and local communities to adequately respond to catastrophic natural disasters, make decisions based on scientific information and implement sustainable development policies. Percentage of urban population by region, SOURCE: United Nations.

2 Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is a heterogeneous region already experiencing a variety of climate change impacts. Understanding geographical and meteorological variances and representing these across local to regional scales requires knowledge undefined by national boundaries and subject to many uncertainties regarding Global Circulation Models (GCMs) and climate change scenarios. The El Nino and La Nina Southern Oscillation (ENSO) drive the models predominantly and are strongly correlated with increasing extreme weather events and natural disasters. Additionally, a lack of past and current baseline data regarding the earth, sea level rise, demographics, building materials and land use changes add to the dilemma. Forwarding the Pan American Agenda and in recognition of the challenges related to recent earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and tsunamis in Latin America, PAIGH has supported successful workshops or symposiums prior to their Directing Council and General Assembly meetings over the last 2 years. In June 2010, in Panama City, Panama, the American Association of Geographers (AAG convened The Institute for the Integration of Research on Climate Change and Hazards of the Americas. Their proceeding publication promoted the following key next steps : Establish a distributed hemispheric data infrastructure as a foundation for climate change monitoring and, planning, and response. This infrastructure should capitalize on and extend existing regional and global geospatial infrastructure programs on climate change and on hazards and sold also incorporate non-spatial data, while following international data standards. It should be designed in a way that serves multiple needs at various scales, such as those at local government, national planning, regional sustainable development and related goals. Mechanisms should accommodate public participatory data input and access and encourage data sharing across institutional jurisdictions. Develop an international research center designed to better understand and anticipate the geographically variable impacts of climate change and acclimate induced hazards, including slow-developing as well as extreme weather events. This center should develop programs for the exchange of scholars and practitioners across the Americas in research and applied studies. Create a hemispheric communications, press, and media network that facilitates information exchange about climate change and hazards in all languages of the Americas. The network should offer training for journalists, politicians, and decision-makers in climate change and hazards communication, ensure that all the latest scientific information is disseminated, aid scientists from across the region in communication their findings, support public information campaigns, and facilitate sharing of experiences by communities in the region.

3 Conduct coordinated educational needs assessment within all countries of the region to determine the status of teaching, learning, and capacity building in both formal and informal venues as a basis for identifying priorities for strengthening programs on climate change and hazards in universities and schools. Convene regular conferences or recurring events that continue to advance and international interdisciplinary agenda for the integration of or research on climate change in the Americas. The PAIGH and the Peruvian National Section of PAIGH presented The International Conference Disaster and Territorial Planning in the Americas Symposium in November 2010 which illuminated numerous scientific and historical studies of natural disasters, including historical earthquakes and droughts of Peru, volcano monitoring in Peru and Japan, the 2010 flood in Huanuco, Peru, the 2010 Chilean earthquakes and tsunamis, urbanization in Cuzco, risk reduction in Peru, and many others This symposium put forward the following recommendations to the PAIGH General Secretary and authorities: PAIGH should develop a Latin American disaster strategy that defines roles and responsibilities, processes and communications. PAIGH should conduct more training, public and elementary education regarding disaster response. PAIGH members should encourage governmental incentives for local participation in sustainable development. Like many other countries, PAIGH member states are not optimally prepared for natural disasters at home or in the region and PAIGH has limited authority or infrastructure for immediate disaster response. PAIGH is important in building capacity and encouraging open data policies and development of the geospatial information infrastructure. Recent projects have included assistance to Haiti to rebuild their data holdings, expertise, and develop new data for the harbor and port areas. The purpose of the 2011 Crisis Support Workshop in Panama was designed to better prepare and enable PAIGH member states to promote the use of data, technology and tools in the face increasing losses from national hazards that threaten safety, security, economic well being and natural resource protection. Latin American countries have felt the devastating impacts of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and Haiti has lost much of its professional earth science staff and geospatial related capabilities. Some needs identified during the aftermath of these earthquakes and other disasters such as Hurricane Katrina are immediate needs for standardized locational information, GPS, and communication of this information to first responders, non-governmental and government

4 agencies tasked with organizing relief operations. There is always more to be done in preparation of such events and now is an opportune time to include these needs and technological developments into PAIGH recommendations and plans. The US National Section, Cartographic Commission hosted the 2 day Crisis Support Workshop with about 33 attendees. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the proposed workshop were: Educate Latin American officials and young professionals in the latest strategies and technologies for preparing, mitigating, and responding to natural disasters. Expand member state partnerships. Provide young professionals networking opportunities with senior executives and managers from across the region. Draft a high level action plan for IPGH preparation, mitigation, and response to natural disasters. Presentations by PAIGH member that had recently experienced disasters (Chile, Haiti, Colombia and Peru) provided overviews of what actions they were taking to prepare and deal with disaster impacts. A very interesting presentation on new state of the art, high accuracy GPS in the Caribbean was given by Dr. M. Meghan Miller, President, UNAVCO, Boulder, Colorado: Collaborative Instrumentation: COCONet (Continuously Operating Caribbean GPS Observational Network) An Infrastructure Proposal for a Multi-hazard Tectonic and Weather Observatory, funded by the National Science Foundation. This system is able to detect large earthquakes more rapidly than any other international network but is only experimental for the next 5 years. US presentations included USGS- the International Charter, NOAA- Geo Net Cast, ESRI/FEMA Crowd Sourcing, and NASA SERVIR GIS Center in Panama. Presentations by the United Nations included: Regional Advances for Disaster Reduction Plans, Jennifer Guralnick, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Regional Platform in the Americas UN-SPIDER Activities in Latin America- Juan-Carlos Villagrán de Leon, Program Officer, Platform for Space Based Information for Disasters and Emergency Response Early Warning and Assessment - Graciela Metternicht, United Nations Environmental Program, Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Division of Early Warning and Assessment PAIGH Sponsored Students that attended: Miguel Trejo, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de

5 Mexico; Silvia Passuni, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; Paulina Vidal, University of Chile. Each student presented masters level disaster and demographic studies they were conducting in their home countries. Recommendations of the Crisis Support Workshop, June 2011 The biggest recommendations included: have satellite phones ready for communications, maintain off-site accessible back-ups of data, organize a network of professionals that can assist as GIS and Remote Sensing teams to develop products, prepare risk and hazard maps before the disaster happens. Do not recreate risks, instead develop nations with scientific data with consideration for sustainability. Preparation Tasks: Inventory products, data, and existing imagery Procure or develop a guide about how and where to access satellites images Standardize maps of areas of risk and critical infrastructure (hospitals, fire etc.) at varying scales Authorize a team of national experts and a Latin American network to coordinate and prepare products, and process imagery that arrived after the disaster. Practice disaster response with this team, network and other partners. International Charter Recommendation: International Charter - Each country must have an expert staff person, certified as a project manager, in order to activate and use the International Charter. Provide risk mapping and remote sensing training Communications and education Use and maintain satellite phones to coordinate during the disaster Educate the public about the risks and emergency practices and routes beginning with children and their families. Set up a central library or website of the relevant regulations, experiences, and glossary of technical terms. Change of culture - working with other communities in the Government, education, and civil government. Although the political road blocks persists, focus on the objective science, approved emergency procedures and interactive communication and feedback from clients and the public. Effective land use planning - Do not rebuild or develop in risk areas. Is not more efficient and saves lives to create municipal and urban plans that are adverse to risk rather than to rebuild in areas of high risk.