Alliances in the Making
The PADF DMA Team identifies potential
public private alliances for development. We
also highlight successful partnerships that
have assisted the emergency management
authorities in their efforts to manage
disasters. Here are some
examples:
Colombia:
The
PADF/DMA team and AmCham Colombia partnered to
facilitate successful roundtable sessions in
Bogota, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla, and
Medellin from August 13 to 19, 2009. The
Disaster Risk Management
Specialist in Colombia for the OFDA/IRG team,
Mr. Juan Carlos Lobo, also was a valuable asset
for the session in Bogota. It is
important to note that the newly renamed Risk
Management Directorate (formerly the
Directorate of Disaster Prevention and
Response) delegated Mr. Hugo Gamba to emphasize
national priorities during presentations at
three of the sessions including Bogotá, Cali
and Medellin. This was a significant show
of commitment to public private partnerships
for disaster management and risk reduction. The
five multi-sector roundtable sessions and 7
meetings were attended by a total 222 corporate
and institutional representatives.
As a result of the roundtables, the AmCham
Bogota Risk Management Committee protocol is
under final review by the authorities for
approval and implementation. Additionally,
two exciting alliances have been proposed
by the Colombian stakeholders for development
in the 2nd Disaster Management Alliance
Regional Integration Conference: Driving
Effective Partnerships for Disaster
Preparedness & Business
Continuity. The Colombian alliance themes
are 1) Transportation Safety (Transporte
Seguro), and 2) Safe Neighborhoods (Vecindario
Seguro). A network of national mutual-aid
committees will be key for both alliances and
is an innovative effort that
will serve as an example to other DMA
countries. PADF/DMA has begun plans for
building a Mutual-aid Committee Blog with
representatives from ANDI, the National
Industrial Association.
Companies
such as Merck and members of the National
Industrial Association (ANDI) will share their
extensive experience and map out what is needed
for national integration to leverage available
resources and capitalize on exiting capacities
for the benefit of all concerned. Meetings with
important companies such as ANDERCOL,Chocolates
Nacionales, and Empresas Públicas de Medellín
also opened doors for additional public-private
partnerships in disaster management and
risk reduction.
Interviews and documentation from the productive Colombia sessions will be posted on the DMA portal very soon!
More>>
Costa
Rica:
In August, the PADF-DMA team
met with the National Emergency Commission
(NEC) and the AmCham Costa Rica
team. Together they agreed to emphasize
flooding as a priority for developing
public-private partnerships with the DMA’s
assistance. The proposed multi-sector
roundtable session regarding this topic will be
held in February 2010 where the NEC will
feature early alert flood warning systems both
in San José, as well as in coastal areas where
agro industry is prevalent. The Disaster Risk
Management Specialist in Costa Rica for the
OFDA/IRG team, Mr. Fernando Calderón has
helped identify an exciting alliance to bring
to the conference in Guatemala between
CORPBANA, World Vision, the NEC’s Early Alert
Flood Warning System and the Red Cross, among
other partners.
Mr. Calderon has also been a dynamic collaborator assisting in contacting Grupo El Angel to enable the DMA to glean and share critical components of their post earthquake relocation and return to full operations.
During the August trip, the DMA team also met with OFDA/USAID/IRG representatives at the hemispheric partner meeting in Liberia, Costa Rica. It was very productive and helpful to follow-up with the specialists from the region and offer a DMA presentation to share the great activities our corporate partners are sponsoring.
Dominican Republic:
During May and June of this year,
the DR was affected by several tropical
depressions. The most affected sector was a
community known as “Little Haiti”. The
Community Emergency Committee
provided humanitarian assistance to 29 families
with food, medical supplies, and more. An
important result of these tragedies was the
immergence of local alliances working to study
and analyze the impacts of unsupervised
socio-economic activity on the local
environment. Groups such as the National
Association of Hotels and Tourism Projects, the
State Office of Tourism, and the Cluster
Turístico La Altagracia, the consulting firm
Cristóbal Valdez and Associates, and others
are working to coordinate projects with the
purpose of mitigating risks from future natural
disasters.
PADF’s DMERP program
has leveraged a $40,000 donation from
Caterpillar, a PADF Board Member, and
Caterpillar’s Corporate Representative in the
Dominican Republic, IMCA. The funds will
go towards an urgently needed fire department
that the Touristic Cluster La Altagracia is
making possible with corporate and other
donations motivated by our DMA stakeholders
through the Association of Hotels and
Touristic Development. We hope to have the
inaugural pictures and details for you soon.
The DMA DR team worked an interesting article for the new DMA Newsletter highlighting the collaborative efforts for risk reduction in the Eastern DR.
More>>
El
Salvador:
The new Civil Defense
Director, Mr. Jorge Meléndez and his team are
enthusiastically coordinating with the PADF/DMA
to prepare for a multi-sector roundtable
session in El Salvador on December 18th. Two
priority themes for partnerships include
mitigation efforts for critical infrastructure
as well as schools.
The Risk Management Committee of the Salvadoran Engineers and Architects Association (ASIA) has offered its collaboration in reducing vulnerability in schools. The American Chamber of Commerce in El Salvador has also offered to support these efforts noting that the Ministry of Education has suffered budgetary cutbacks affected the repair and maintenance of schools nationwide.
More>>
Haiti:
In September, two new corporate
members joined AGERCA, the Alternative
Insurance Company and M.S.C. Trading, a company
that had contributed towards the committee’s
telethon in 2008.Three more members are
scheduled to join at the end of October. On
November 20th, AGERCA will participate in the
Energy, Environment, and Technology Fair. BRANA
continues to extend a helping hand to the
Department of Civil Protection to preposition
potable water to areas where flood victims are
normally sheltered during hurricane season.
The DMA team met with Dr. Michael Drabble, Senior Education Specialist at World Bank, to discuss the World Bank supported Safe Schools campaign in Haiti and facilitate linkages and support from the private sector through AGERCA.
Honduras:
This quarter
the Disaster Management and Business Continuity
Committee held the inauguration of the Animal
Shelter Project at the Agricultural School of
Monterrey in Choloma funded by BDA Global and
Río Garment. In addition, Río Garment and
AmCham San Pedro Sula met with the PADF/DMA
team in Washington, DC on September 14, 2009 to
discuss the various capacities and interests it
offers in support of COPECO's local
disaster management and risk reduction efforts.
They shared information about recent activities
and worked with the DMA team on a strategy for
developing public-private partnerships in
disaster preparedness and risk reduction. In
spite of difficulties in Honduras, the
committee planned and held part one of a
corporate recruitment campaign on October 2.
Through efforts to recruit new corporate
members and bring additional support from
companies, they hope to strengthen the Disaster
Management and Business Continuity Committee.
Jamaica:
The Jamaica
Public Service Company is a key stakeholder in
ODPEM's efforts to coordinate preparedness,
planning, and mitigation initiatives with the
utility companies of Jamaica. As a result of
the DMA multi-sector roundtable session in
April 2009, JPS met with ODPEM to determine
roles and responsibilities for the Preparedness
and Planning Committee. Efforts to recruit new
committee members are ongoing.
Nicaragua:
AmCham’s
OSAC Committee and COSEP have submitted a draft
platform collaborative agreement for the
private sector with SINAPRED based on the
Honduran model. During the AACCLA Washington DC
meetings the AmCham Nicaragua President, Mr.
Roger Arteaga, promised to support this
effort. He also offered to facilitate
contact with the Metropolitan Hospital Vivian
Pellas. Hospitals in the region, such
as those in Cali and Cartagena Colombia
expressed interest in teaming agreements with
hospitals specialized in attending burn
victims. The DMA keeps working to help
bridge the capacity gap.
Trinidad & Tobago:
On September 28 and 29, the HSSE committee
held its annual conference and exhibition,
“HSSE Excellence-An Imperative for
Sustainable Success.” As the HSSE committee
made the decision earlier this year to focus on
school emergency plans, the focus is
emergency response, preparedness, and
awareness. The Red Cross in Trinidad &
Tobago has identified three areas where they
will focus school emergency preparedness
efforts. The DMA is working with AmCham TT
and the HSE committee members to engage
corporate partners to support these efforts.
Guatemala:
On September
10 and 11, the Guatemalan emergency management
authorities, CONRED, held their
first public private forum to encourage
alliances with twenty companies. Three priority
initiatives emerged for alliances: 1)
Legislation on Volunteering; 2) A Volunteer
Training Facility; and 3) A Disaster Management
Training Center. Many of these alliances will
participate in our conference
in Guatemala. Save the date!
PADF/DMA will bring at least 15 alliances from
our 9 partner countries and Guatemala for
development.