Gov’t looks at disaster preparedness

We all remember the panic we felt when we heard Mitch was bearing down on Belize. But would we be better prepared if it happened again? This week a seminar is underway which is intended to help Belize not only react when disaster strikes, but plan for it way in advance.

We are only one month away from the start of the Hurricane Season. This year promises to be busy with 5 storms and 9 hurricanes predicted. Central American countries especially those which suffered mass destruction due to Hurricane Mitch in 1998 are preparing themselves for any disaster that may occur. The Belize Government, in a joint venture with the Agency for Cooperation of Chile, will spend the next five days looking at what a country can do to protect its people. Patty Arceo, the Area Representative for Belize Rural South and the person spearheading the seminar says the key word is preparedness.

Patty Arceo, Area Representative, Belize Rural South

“At the end of the day you wonder which disaster was the biggest. Was it the one caused by nature or was it the one caused by the lack of preparation by mankind? By everybody coming together we will try to put together as much as we can so that we can avoid probably tomorrow, any disaster that is happening to our countries.”

Arceo says when Belize was threatened by Hurricane Mitch many of us had not experienced such a storm before and were learning as we were faced with the emergency.

Patty Arceo

“I believe that this year we are more prepared. The communication has been great and like I said, the Chilean aid, along with our government is co-sponsoring this.”

Dr. Alberto Maturana Palacios, who heads the Chilean delegation and is conducting the seminar says as Central American countries move towards development they must include preventative measures for

disasters in their plans.

Dr. Alberti Maturana Palacios, Facilitator

“It is important to build an approach to development that pays attention to risk management. Because if we understand the whole process before, during and after the impact, probably we could be influencing and giving more attention to all the aspects that have to do with emergencies not only during the impact moment.”

Also attending the seminar are representatives from Colombia, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. After the five-day seminar here, the Chilean Agency for International Cooperation heads to Honduras.