Global platform and regional implementation:

Trends and Challenges

Area on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief

Jean Luc Poncelet, MD, MPH

Leaders 2006 Course

Content

1. Trends in disaster management

2. Global Mechanism

3. Regional implementation

4. Challenges

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1. Trends

• From response to development– Disaster response up to the 60’s– Disaster preparedness: Earthquake of Guatemala

1976 • Prepare the response

– Disaster mitigation: Gilbert 88 and Hugo 99• Disasters occur but their impact can be reduced

– Disaster recovery and disaster prevention as part of development: in process/being developed

• Prevention: can hazard be “eliminated”?

– Risk= Hazard + Vulnerability

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Trends

• Increasing of the technical complexity:

– Emergency responders Engineers Planners institutions national agenda

– Evacuation plans protection of structures protection of functions protection of inversion

– Ad hoc response standards

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Trends

• Increasing of the national capacity*:– Health disaster coordination programs in each

country– National disaster coordination entities in each

country– However, limited to some hazards and mostly in

response.

* PAHO/WHO survey

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The Tsunami and Pakistan Earthquake

• Events can affect an entire region

• “The international humanitarian community can respond to it. Only a matter of putting the necessary resource.”

• Massive events requires massive assistance

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Katrina

• Large countries can be affected• Similitude between Katrina and Grenada post

Ivan.– Absence of design for the system to be

overwhelmed

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ANY QUESTIONS ?

?

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Trends

• Inclusion of new hazards: – Epidemic of International interest (IHR -

International Health Regulations):• SARS• Pandemic Flu

– Bioterrorism

• My neighbors threat can be my threat

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Trends

• Increasing number of partners– Coordination is increasing complex

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2. Global Mechanisms

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Global mechanisms

– Response:

– Mitigation:

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Global mechanisms

• Global response mechanism– IASC

• Grouping a UN Agencies and NGO’s• Cluster Approach

– OCHA: • Overall coordination• International appeal

– PAHO/WHO: Health coordination– Others

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Global mechanisms

• Risk Reduction mechanism– ISDR International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

• Global system for disaster risk reduction• Kobe, Hyogo framework 2015 (168 countries

commitments)

– WB• Global disaster mitigation facility

– UNDP– ProVention

• Consortium of international institutions (IFRC)

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Regional implementation

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Regional implementation

• Response: – Response teams

• Regional health response team PAHO/WHO– 80 professionals in disaster coordination and sub specialty (epidemiology, mental

health, toxicology,..)– Bilateral teams (Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela,…)

• UNDAC– Regional team

• LSS/SUMA• IFRC

– PADRU,..• CDERA• …

– Web site• www.paho.org/disasters• www.reliefweb.int

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Regional implementation

• Mitigation & Recovery– ISDR– OAS– ACS– …

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Intersection among platforms and institutions

• Global:– SG– WHO – OCHA– Otros UN (UNICEF,

PMA,..), Federación,

– WB,– donantes– etc..

• Regional

• PAHO/WHO

•OCHA

•UN

•FCR

•IDB

•…

Subregional

• CDERA

• CARICOM

• ACS

• CDB

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Global platforms in countries

• National– MOH– National Disaster System– Finance– Planning– NGO’s– Agriculture– Military– …

International/ regional

• PAHO/WHO

• OCHA,

• WB, IDB, CDB

• NGO’s

• FAO,

• Southcom, RSS

• ….

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The Challenges

• Avoid useless competition/ build network:– Specify/ identify the (complementary) role of each

agency/ institution. Formal arrangement– Create/ strengthen network of doers. Informal

coordination

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Challenges

• A system will break at its weakest point. • Disaster management is the art of identifying

those weaknesses.• Disaster management is increasingly an

issue of directing other institution assets toward gaps in risk reduction

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Challenges

• Disaster is not about having the largest budget possible.

• It is about being – at the right time, at the right place, with the right

people– to ensure most efficient decisions are taken

based on previous experience and the existing/accessible resources

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.

• Not enough to have a good knowledge of disaster risk management

• Entities/professionals must now be able to demonstrate a clear product.

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Challenges

• Change the approach to achievable, “palatable” and measurable targets. – Risk reduction >< safety increase

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Challenges

• Address the issue at the political/ public level. – Where are we? – Where do we want to go? – What is the next step?– What is missing?

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Conclusions

• Disaster management is increasingly complex, requires a larger network of more knowledgeable specialist

• Global and regional platform are increasing in complexity and to cover more topics

• The expectation of the public in increasing in both response and risk reduction

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Conclusions

Disaster programs must be a more efficient connector/ hub/ network