Cuba Prepares against Disasters

[Mika]

Source: Prensa Latina

Havana, May 20 (Prensa Latina) Cuba concluded a two-day massive exercise against disasters on Sunday aimed at protecting the population and material resources in the face of the start of the hurricane season on June 1.

As part of the Popular Exercise Meteoro 2007, authorities and the people talked about experiences of big traffic accidents, hurricanes and tornados that had supposedly occurred in different areas of the country.

The manoeuvres, that take place every year before the beginning of the cyclonic season in the Atlantic Ocean, included the attendance of the labour and security entities of the National Defense Council, state bodies and social and economic entities.

Members of the Defense Zones have also taken part in the exercise as well as commands and Units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior.

Working link here.

Read more: http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B47B5B635-BB07-4257-8B98-CCA020F9F371%7D)&language=EN

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Background from OXFAM:

DISASTER PLANNING ESSENTIAL FOR MINIMIZING RISKS
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/emergencies/asian_floods_2004/background/cubalessons

It might seem that a thorough, well-funded disaster plan is a luxury an impoverished country cannot afford, but there are cases of individual communities and even entire countries that have overcome lack of money and created effective ways to reduce risks and save lives. For a small investment in planning, millions of lives can be saved.

Oxfam America recently studied the experience of Cuba in its development of disaster prevention and mitigation programs. Situated in the Caribbean Sea, Cuba frequently stands in the way of serious hurricanes. While its neighbors are battered, losing lives and property, Cuba is unusually good at withstanding these calamities, and suffers much fewer dead.

Oxfam’s report, entitled Weathering the Storm: Lessons in Risk Reduction in Cuba cites a number of attributes of Cuba’s risk reduction program that can be applied by other countries. Three in particular are transferable to Asia and other regions:

* Disaster Preparedness: Cuba was especially good at mobilizing entire communities to develop their own disaster preparations. This involves mapping out vulnerable areas of the community, creating emergency plans, and actually simulating emergencies so people can practice evacuations and other measures designed to save lives. When disaster strikes, people know what to do.

* Commitment of Resources: Cuba’s strong central government prioritizes resources for its civil defense department. This helps the country to build up a common understanding of the importance of saving lives, and the citizens trust that their contributions to the government are well used for this purpose. Their collaboration on developing emergency plans helped build confidence in the government, so people trust in the plan they helped develop.

* Communications: The communications system for emergencies in Cuba builds on local resources. Using local radio stations and other media to issue warnings on potential hazards also reinforces the disaster preparations. Since the local population is already involved in mapping risks and creating emergency plans, they are more inclined to act on emergency bulletins. Good communications, packaged simply, and built on existing, commonly used resources, is another way to build trust in disaster preparations.

Cuba is a unique example. There is a strong central government committed to protecting all its citizens, even the poorest and most isolated who are typically the most at risk. The most common natural disaster in Cuba is a hurricane, a threat visible for days and even weeks in advance. Yet building a culture of disaster preparedness, and involving local communities in mitigating risks, are strategies that can be applied in many other places, regardless of how rich or poor a country might be.

[Billy Burnett]

1. Excellent background link, Mika. Sounds like a brutal dictatorship at work.

Can you imagine?

"There is a strong central government committed to protecting all its citizens, even the poorest and most isolated who are typically the most at risk."

Castro is a BAAAADD man. :+

[cliss]

2. It is my understanding,

that Hurricane Katrina tore through Cuba (or at least a portion of it). I believe there was not one fatality, and the people were well-prepared and everything worked smoothly (at least as smoothly as something could, with a hurricane in your midst).

Just imagine, how that must gall the "leadership" in Washington. Little Cuba would be more effective than Big Brother next door.