Diagnostic Study for the DIPECHO Action Plan for Central America and the Caribbean (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters - DIPECHO - ECHO Programme for Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Prevention, 1997, 184 p.): PREFACE

Diagnostic Study for the DIPECHO Action Plan for Central America and the Caribbean (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters - DIPECHO - ECHO Programme for Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Prevention, 1997, 184 p.)

		(introduction...)
		PREFACE
		INTRODUCTION
		FIRST PART - NATURAL DISASTERS IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: CONSEQUENCES AND RISKS
		SECOND PART - ACHIEVEMENTS AND NEEDS AS REGARDS REDUCING THE RISKS AND CONSEQUENCES OF NATURAL DISASTERS
		THIRD PART - CURRENT FRAMEWORK AND CONDITIONS FOR A COHERENT, WORKABLE AND EFFECTIVE DIPECHO PROGRAMME
		GENERAL CONCLUSION
		BIBLIOGRAPHY
		ANNEXES

PREFACE

In 1996 the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) launched a regional approach for disaster preparedness, focusing in its first phase on Central America, Caribbean and Southeast Asia (including Bangladesh). The first step in this process was the preparation of a «diagnostic study» that involved a situation review of the countries in these regions with regard to their vulnerabilities, disaster preparedness capacities and national plans or policies for disaster management.

The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters of the Universitatholique de Louvain (UCL) served as echo’s principal technical support with the collaboration of other institutions in Europe and the regions.

The present «diagnostic report», covering Central America and the Caribbean, has been carried out by the Centre International pour la Formation et les Echanges Gogiques (CIFEG) under the supervision of Professor Robert D’Ercole (Universite Savoie).

Mr. Thierry Lesales (Universites Antilles et de la Guyane) participated closely in the drafting of this report and was actively involved in the field missions with Mr D’Ercole where they met and interviewed numerous national officials, non-governmental organisations and regional and international bodies. Further assistance was provided by Claudine Misson (CRED) for the interviews and information collected in the Dominican Republic. The report also draws from an earlier mission undertaken by Dr. Philippe Masure (BRGM, France), Christian Bugnion (CRED) and Alexandra Angulo (CRED) who undertook some of the preparatory work for the diagnostic study.

This report presents an analysis of the disaster preparedness situation in Central America and the Caribbean and provides some preliminary recommendations regarding priorities and future programme direction. As such it remains primarily a descriptive study. It is expected to form the basis for the formulation of the ECHO Disaster Preparedness Action Plan.

The views, opinions and comments expressed in the report are solely those of CRED and do not in any way reflect or represent the views and opinions of the European Commission.

All comments or suggestions on this report are welcome and can be addressed to CRED.

Dr Debarati Guha-Sapir
Director CRED
Brussels, June 1997