Officials in Costa Rica celebrate achievements in disaster preparedness

Disaster management authorities convened in San José to celebrate the close of the successful PREPARE II: Preparing to Lessen the Social and Economic Impacts of Earthquakes program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. In addition to acknowledging successful collaboration and improvement to disaster preparedness, government officials also signed a formal “Letter of Intention,” pledging to continue building the capacity and efficiency of disaster risk management institutions - from first responders to government ministers.

The Work Continues: Sustainability of Program Successes

The agreement represents a declaration of on-going support for the long-term sustainability of San Jose’s disaster management strategy. Both preparedness and disaster response efforts require extensive cooperation and ongoing resources. With the close of the PREPARE II program in Costa Rica, the support of municipal and national-level disaster management agencies is essential for continued capacity building.

The letter of intention includes pledges for sustained actions such as:

• Continued political support;
• Inclusion of PREPARE program findings and recommendations into the plans and budgets of disaster management agencies;
• Institutionalization of the debris management strategy; and,
• Training in rapid damage assessment for housing.

“The letter highlights willingness and commitment to continue building upon the successes achieved during the last four years," said Miyamoto International's Diana Ubico. "Their effort will continue to improve preparedness in case of a major disaster.”

The letter was signed by the National Emergency Commission, Government of San José, Ministry of Housing and Human Settlements, Costa Rica Social Security Fund, Ministry of Health and San José Fire Department.

Turning Data into Decisions

At the start of the program, Miyamoto International conducted an assessment of San José’s earthquake risk – including possible impact to buildings and human life. This study informed research, planning and decision making throughout the program.

“Without exposure data, it is difficult to carry out reliable management or risk reduction processes. PREPARE was born as an effort to fill the information gap regarding the vulnerability of buildings,” said Phil Gelman, the USAID/OFDA Regional Advisor. “What has been achieved through PREPARE in San José has served as a model for dissemination throughout the region and as a basis for further interventions.”

The PREPARE model also has previous or ongoing iterations in Colombia, El Salvador and México with a new project in Trinidad and Tobago launching in October 2019.