Cuba sets pace for disaster management

UN officials last week stated that Cuba is an example in the 
prevention of hurricane risks and a model that could be applied 
in other countries with similar or better economic conditions 
that have not been able to protect their populations as 
effectively as the island.

No Cubans were killed during Hurricane Ivan and recently, 
Hurricane Charley took four lives in Cuba, as opposed to 30 in 
Florida.

They also recalled that Hurricane George in 1998 caused the death 
of just four people when it crossed Cuba, while 600 died in other 
Caribbean nations affected by that natural phenomenon.

There are many reasons explaining the low mortality rate caused 
by hurricanes in Cuba compared to its neighbours, such as 
education, prevention and response capacity, commented Salvano 
Briceno, director of the UN Institute for the Reduction of 
Disasters.

In his opinion, the population of the Caribbean country is 
constantly informed and prepared in schools, universities and 
workplaces on how to confront natural disasters.

"From an early age, Cubans are trained in how to act when a 
hurricane is approaching the island and receive two days of 
training every year in ways of reducing their risks, including 
simulation exercises and preparing concrete actions", Briceno 
explained.

For her part, Brigitte Leoni, a spokesperson for the World 
Conference for the Reduction of Disasters, which takes places 
next January in Japan, highlighted the work of the Cuban 
Meteorological Institute and the Civil Defence as "two pillars" 
in the system of controlling risks originated by hurricanes.

All the island's institutions are mobilised 48 hours before a 
hurricane is expected to hit the territory and immediate measures 
such as mass evacuations go into effect.

In the Cuban case, she added, it is an example of how the 
vulnerability of populations can be reduced with low-cost 
measures, and a significant dose of political determination.

Finally, Briceno observed that Cuba's success in this field 
illustrates that the poor nations do have options for mitigating 
or preventing the consequences of natural disasters, but at times 
the missing links are "concrete action programs and the political 
will to implement them".

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Granma