THE CUBAN EXPERIENCE IN THE REDUCTION

OF DAMAGE PRODUCED BY

NATURAL DISASTERS

PROF GUSTAVO KOURI M.D. PhD.DrSc.DIRECTOR GENERAL

INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL MEDICINE “PEDRO KOURI” IPK .

HAVANA CUBA

Civil Defense

IS THE CUBAN OFFICIAL ORGANIAZATION RESPONSIBLE

OF PROTECTING THE POPULATION AND ALL THE ECONOMICAL AND

NATURAL RESOURSES OF THE COMMUNITY DURING NATURAL

DISASTERS

CIVIL DEFENSE ORGANIZATION IN CUBA

PRESIDENTSTATE COUNCIL

PROVINCESMINISTRIES

FIRST VPSTATE COUNCIL

HQCD

MUNICIPALITIES

Económical ENTITIES

COMMUNITY COUNSEL

SOCIALINSTITUTIONS

SOCIAL FACTORS THAT DECREASES THE VULNERABILITY

OF THE CUBAN COMMUNITY• UNIVERSAL AND FREE ACCES TO HEALTH

SERVICES,TO EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SECURITY.

• POLICY TO DIMINISH INEQUITIES

• IINVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE

• IMPROVEMENT OF THE CULTURAL LEVEL TO INCREASE THE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

• CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT OF OUR POLITICAL SOCIAL AND ECONOMICAL ORGANIZATION FOCUSED TO INCREASE COOPERATION AND SOLIDARITY

NATURAL DESASTERS

HURRICANES

EARTHQUAKES

FLOODS

FOREST FIRES

IN THE LAST 154 YEARS 152 HURRICANES AFFECTED CUBA

Hurricane Michelle(4 de noviembre del 2001)

• H. Michelle, INTENSITY 4 (ZS),

• FIRST HURRICANE OF BIG INTENSITY THAT AFFECTECD CUBA IN THE PRESENT CENTURY

• PREVIOUS ONE WITH THIS INTENSITY WAS H.Fox 24/X/1952.

Hurricane Isidore(20 de septiembre del 2002)

10 monthes after Michelle, Cuba was affected by hurricane Isidore.

Hurricane Lilli(1 de octubre del 2002)

only 11 days after Isidore, we were affected by hurricane Lilli.

TWO HURRICANES IN 11 DAYS WITH THE SAME

TRAYECTORY- 2002

TWO INTENSIVE HURRICANES AFFECTED THE WESTERN PART OF CUBA

LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS IN 1948

Charley

Iván

AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2004:

HURRICANES IN CUBA YEAR 2005

• Afected by 5 hurricanes and two floodings produced by intensive rains, not linked to hurricanes

• 17 deaths - mainly accidents• 2 558 602 individuals evaquated• 183 391 houses affected (repaired with

strong support of the goverment)• Economical damage estimated in more

than 2000 millions USD

DAMAGE REDUCTION

OF NATURAL

DISASTERS

Alarm phase

Alert phase

Information phaseEarly Alert

EACH PHASECORRESPONDS WITH SPECIFIC PROTECTIVE MESURES PREVIOUSLYSTABLISHED ACCORDING TO THE RISK FACTORS

STEP BY STEP PHASES

Efectivity of preventive mesures adopted before

disasters PREVENTIVE MESURES• Strengthening of surveillance• Reduction of vulnerability of the

electroenergetic system• Risk factors studiesPrepardness• Permanent updating of the plans to

reduce the damage of natural disasters

• TRAINNING OF THE POPULATION AND ALL THE SOCIETY (METEORO TRAINNING ONCE A YEAR)

STRENGTHENING OF THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENT (equipment, softwares, etc)

IMPROVEMENT OF INFORMATIONSTRENGTHTENING OF THE RELATIONS

WITH THE DECISION MAKERS

•Institute of Meteorology,• National Center for Climatic studies• National Center for Sismological Research.

1963 2003

Total 11 68

International exchange 1 3

Regional exchange 1 11

NETWORK OF METEOROLICAL

STATIONS

NETWORK OF METEOROLICAL

STATIONS

SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

CIVIL DEFENSE

AuthoritiesCommunity councilsSocial organizations

PopulationEconomicalentities

EARLY ALERT SYSTEM

INTEGRITY OF THE SYSTEM

TRANSPORTATION

CARE OF EVACUATED

INDIVIDUALS

MEDICAL

SERVICES

THE MEDIA

SURVEILLANCE AND PROGNOSIS

COOPERATION OF THE ARMY

HEADQUARTER

COMMUNICATIONS

RESOURCES FOR

REHABILITATION

EVACUATION OF THE POPULATION

• Previous studies are updated about the population

that must be evacuated in each region and

according to the type and intensity of the desaster

as well as the priorities.• Evacuation Centers are previously prepared and

certified.• Excellent and comprehensive attention to

evacuated people• In the last 5 years more than 6 millions people had

been evacuated due to hurricanes.

RECOVERY PHASE• Evaluation of damage

and needs for recovery

• Re-stablisment of básic services (water, electricity, medical services etc.

• Reconstructión of buildings and houses of the population and economical entities 18“SISTEMA NACIONAL DE PROTECÇÃO CIVIL”“SISTEMA NACIONAL DE PROTECÇÃO CIVIL”

Serviço erviço Nacional acional Bombeiros eombeiros e

Protecção rotecção Civilivil

JUL2003José Pedro Lopes

JUL2003José Pedro Lopes

LA REHABILITACIÓNLA REHABILITACIÓN

THE USE OF THESE MESURES HIGHLY REDUCED THE NUMBER

OF FATAL.ITIES AND THE DAMAGE TO THE ECONOMY,

THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE COUNTRY AND THE

POPULATION THERE IS A CONSTANT

PLAN TO IMPROVE THE SYSTEM

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION