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RET International is pleased to extend a cordial invitation to all those interested in participating in the “CAM Forum: Good practices in Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction: inclusive and sustainable perspectives from the local level," showcasing the outcomes of the recent local Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction project in the region, funded by USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and implemented by RET International in consortium with Plan International in the Dominican Republic. We are delighted to be able to take this opportunity to reflect on the results achieved in this regional project, addressing local needs in a nuanced way and invite you to participate to learn more and discover strategies that may be applicable to your area, whether regional or thematic.
The project, called "Strengthening Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management (CDRM) at the local level in Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico and Dominican Republic" lasted 30 months, from September 2020 to March 2023, with a focus on strengthening capacities for CDRM at the local level, led by RET International in Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico and implemented in consortium with Plan International in the Dominican Republic and in collaboration with national and local institutions in the countries involved.
In each country, key local partners worked with us to implement key objectives in areas such as municipal disaster risk management training, the development of municipal strategies and plans, applying the inclusive disaster risk management approach in education, encouraging the use of technology and other improvements in search and rescue strategies, systematically applying an intersectional approach to address the needs of the most vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities and indigenous communities. Other cross-cutting themes included gender empowerment and mainstreaming climate change adaptation. For more information, see the agenda (below).
The Forum will showcase the results of the project, highlighting good practices and creating opportunities for networking. We invite you to register for the online event, which will take place on 5 June 2023. The virtual platform we have chosen is innovative and sleek and offers many opportunities for networking and we invite participants from all levels and sectors of society to participate. We look forward to “seeing” you there!
We are ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities throughout the event, with the platform adhering to the WCAG 2.1 A, AA Accessibility Guidelines and the provision of English and Spanish subtitles throughout the event. All sessions will be interpreted into International Sign Language and sessions related to our intervention in Mexico will also be translated into Mexican Sign Language. If you have any additional requirements not covered here, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Words of welcome.
Peter Schecter, Asesor Regional.
Vice President, Remi Mannaert
Region of the Americas: Pietro De Nicolai, Regional Head of Humanitarian Preparedness and Response.
México: Víctor Hugo Roldan, Director, Jalisco State Civil Protection and Firefighters Unit (UEPCBJ).
Costa Rica: Sheily Vallejos Vázquez, Director of Management of the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Response (CNE).
Panamá: Adherbal de la Rosa, Technical Secretary, Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction Cabinet in Panama / Sub Director, SINARPOC.
Strengthening risk awareness to enhance decision-making at the local level.
Providing targeted technical awareness to municipal authorities to provide more knowledge about key concepts and strengthen integrated risk-based decision-making in the Dominican Republic.
- Linandra Javier, Head of Psychology - Risk Management Unit Mayor's Office of Higüey.
Implementation of strategies to enhance local capacities in CDRM, through the preparation and empowerment of community leaders and focal points in municipalities in Panama.
- Ovidio Solís, Municipal Risk Manager (GRM), Chitré Mayor´s Office.
Strengthening governance and developing local capacities in CDRM, from the state level to the municipal level in Jalisco, Mexico.
- Commander Alain León Cervantes, Jalisco State Civil Protection and Firefighters Unit (UEPCBJ).
Developing and increasing understanding of risk in the field of education, from a participatory approach involving the entire society.
The development and creation of interactive classroom materials for elementary students in Costa Rica to foster a shared understanding of risk at multiple scales and provide teaching staff with tools to address the topic.
- Margarita Villalobos, Specialist in Disaster Risk Management, Strategic Communication and Education, RET Costa Rica.
Developing school plans and guidelines for the incorporation of effective CDRM analysis, prevention, and mitigation measures inclusive of creating resilience in schools throughout Panama.
- Carmen Aparicio, Director, National Directorate of Environmental Education, MEDUCA.
Increasing understanding of risk and strengthening governance for CDRM at the local level.
Definition of the role of the municipal risk managers, a participatory process that generates capacities and resilient systems for the implementation of CDRM strategies at the local level in Panama.
- Giancarlo González, Integrated Risk Management and Community Development Technician, Association of Panamanian Municipalities (AMUPA).
Creating municipal CDRM plans in the Dominican Republic, incorporating experiences and lessons learned from the impacts of disasters that occurred during the process.
- Bruno Benítez, Director of the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Directorate, Veron-Punta Cana Mayor´s Office.
The importance of incorporating ancestral wisdom and respect for the worldview of indigenous peoples into CDRM planning, perspectives from Soloy in the Ngäbe Bugle indigenous region of in Panama.
- Honorable Representative Felicia Gallego, Mayoress, Traditional Authority of Besikó, Comarca Ngäbe Bugle and Juana Gonzales, Environmental Education and CDRM Coordinator, MEDUCA, Comarca Ngäbe Bugle.
Strengthening Local Governance through Capacity Development to facilitate the creation of commitments for CDRM in Costa Rica.
- Ana Lorena Rovira Gutiérrez, Mayoress, Tarrazú Municipality.
Integrating inclusive Disaster Risk Management into search and rescue strategies.
The development of a training program in Guadalajara for rescuers, with a focus on the needs of people with disabilities in disasters and emergencies, in an inclusive and participatory process, respecting the adage "nothing about us without us."
- Karla Galván Duque Senosiain and Abraham Ros de la Fuente, Civil Association “OTEA Autismo.”
The creation of a new level of urban search and rescue training, incorporating inclusive CDRM perspectives, to strengthen the quality of response offered, with the support of experts from Mexico and throughout the region.
- José Manuel Martínez Murillo, Regional Commander, Jalisco State Civil Protection and Firefighters Unit (UEPCBJ).
Innovations to reinforce the creation of data at the local level to inform CDRM decision-making.
Updating the GIS Dashboard of MEDUCA to coordinate the implementation of PEGIR plans throughout the country of Panama, managing risk at multiple scales.
- Carmen Aparicio, Director, National Directorate of Environmental Education, MEDUCA.
Strengthening and piloting a georeferenced platform for the creation and analysis of data on local risks, with the aim of improving decision-making power at the municipal level in Panama.
- Giancarlo González, Integrated Risk Management and Community Development Technician, Association of Panamanian Municipalities (AMUPA).
Updating the EDAN process in Panama by incorporating local experiences along with the established requirements for reporting to the Sendai Monitoring System, employing georeferenced data and linking the results with municipalities to inform decision-makers.
- Malitizie Rivera, Director, Emergency Operations Centre (COE), SINAPROC
Where do we stand on the path to 2030 and the fight for equitable resilience? Emerging topics for the seven next years Seven experts from various countries and areas of specialization in the subregion share their perspectives on relevant topics.
- Christiane Eppelin, Country Director, RET Costa Rica.
- Mario Alvarado, CDRM Official, RET Mexico.
- Leonarda De Gracia, Country Director, RET Panama.
- Eleanor Ramírez, CDRM Programme Official, Plan Dominican Republic.
- Rosa Maria Juares Cobeñas, President, Latin American Network for Disability Inclusive CDRM, (Red GIRDD LAC).
- Jennifer Guralnick, Programme Management Officer, Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean.
- Dr. Armelle Gouritin, Researcher, Conacyt and Flacso México.
- Peter Schechter, Regional Advisor, USAID/BHA Central America, Mexico and Dominican Republic.
- Gerrit Saen, Director, Dominican Republic.
- Remi Mannaert, Vice President.
