Best Practices Forum of the Americas on Natural Disaster Mitigation

“Reaching most vulnerable communities and sectors:Connecting High Technology Information Systems with Community-based Information and Communication Systems”

The Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) through the Department of Sustainable Development is organizing the sixth edition of the Best Practices Forum of the Americas about Natural Disaster Mitigation. The objective of the Forum is to promote the exchange of consolidated practices and lessons learned through interaction over the Internet. 

This Forum is part of the efforts and activities of the Inter-American Network for Disaster Mitigation (INDM) to better integrate disaster prevention, mitigation and risk management in development policies and reduce the vulnerability of those communities and sectors hot the hardest by natural disasters. Members of the government and professionals on the field from the OAS Member States have been invited to participate. The first session will be held on Wednesday, June 06, 2007.

The transfer of knowledge and best practices have become very useful for government officials and decision makers throughout the region because they provide the opportunity to learn from the experience of other projects which, in turn, helps to avoid obstacles and make the best use of  resources.

In this context, the central topic of the Forum is “The application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for the mitigation of natural disasters,” which will be addressed through the discussion of three specific reference cases, aiming to evaluate innovative alternatives to connect information systems and the data they produce with community-based information and communication services, assuring efficient distribution to the most vulnerable.

In this opportunity, the Forum will count with the participation of three experts on the topic, who will share their experiences with the participants and with the governments that are developing similar initiatives.  The specific cases of each online session are detailed below:

• First session: Jamaica's experience in the use of ICT's as an alternate source of communication. Date: June 06, 2007

• Second Session: Central America’s experience in the introduction of ICT’s to coordinate Centers of National Emergency Operations. Date: June 20, 2007. Invitation
• Third Session: Peru’s experience in the implementation of educational rural networks for disaster prevention. Date: June 27, 2007.

General Agenda

Reference Documents:

• To Promote Comprehensive Disaster Management

• Plataforma de Información y Comunicación regional

• SATCAweb

• El Web-Coe como herramientas esencial en la información y comunicación nacional y regional

• Propuesta de Proyecto RED-HUM

• Success Stories of Communities Effectively Managing Disasters: The Jamaican Experience