Publications
The Unit for
Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States (OAS/DSD)
has had an active role in vulnerability reduction to natural hazards and
has been supporting disaster reduction activities related to the
transportation sector. Prior to Hurricane Mitch the OAS/DSD approached
the Central American Secretariat for Economic Integration (SIECA) and
COMITRAN on the need to begin a systematic evaluation of the Pan
American Highway to natural hazards.
Following that disastrous event, and as
part of the U.S. Government’s interagency support of reconstruction
activities in the affected countries, which are coordinated by the USAID,
the OAS/DSD approached the U.S, Department of Transportation (USDOT) for
financial support studies on the disaster reduction of the Central
America transportation sector. One component of those studies is a the
preparation of a document to identify existing and potential mechanisms
for mutual assistance in case of damage to infrastructure and
vulnerability reduction of the transportation sector in Central America.
This study also forms part of OAS/DSD’s support of the implementation of
the Western Hemisphere Transportation Initiative (WHTI) through is
action plan adopted at the WHTI meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana in
December 1998.
287Kb - 580 pages
This document presents
information on the vulnerability of road segments of the Pan American
Highway and when available, information on its alternate or
complementary corridors in Central America. The document also contains
information about the vulnerability of each section of the Pan American
Highway, the natural hazards to which it is prone, the length of each
vulnerable road segment, a list of vulnerability reduction measures
taken, and the history of disasters it has suffered (where information
was available).
This information is
based on Central American vulnerability profile studies carried out by
technical teams from the Central American countries with international
coordination by the DSD. The DSD has coordinated these efforts and has
been working on the development of vulnerability studies since March
2000.
The matrices are available for Costa Rica,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama. In order to receive
a copy, please contact the respective Ministries.
249Kb - 51 pages
After seven years of field work it is now
possible to prepare this synthesis of OAS experience with natural
hazards. The material comes with a broad set of objectives, a reflection
of the breadth of the issues involved in hazard mitigation. At the
policy level, it is hoped that national planning ministries, development
agencies, and international financing institutions will be encouraged to
systematically include analyses of natural hazards in their economic
development programs.
2,054Kb - 141 pages
This document was prepared by the
Department to help identify the major constraints and opportunities to
further the use of natural hazard information during the investment
project formulation process, focusing on development assistance
agencies. It describes their roles, procedures, structure, and
influence, and presents a strategy for promoting natural hazard
assessment and mitigation in investment projects. Also included is a
list of issues for discussion by CIDIE members to assist each member in
defining future actions it might undertake.
98Kb - 20 pages
Following
the El Niño occurrence of 1982-83, the member states of the Organization
of American States (OAS) expressed the need for technical cooperation in
natural hazard management. In response, the Department of Regional
Development and Environment (DRDE) initiated the Natural Hazard Project
with support from the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) of
the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID).
The need for this book
became clear through field work and discussions with planning agency
counterparts and representatives of other development assistance
agencies. Great strides were made in the past two decades in emergency
preparedness and response, but up to now insufficient attention has been
paid to reducing the vulnerability of existing and planned development.
After seven years of field work, it is now possible to prepare this
synthesis of OAS experience with this neglected subject.
7,700Kb - 520 pages
In the context of the institutional
arrangements set up in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, the Secretary
General of the Organization American States was given the mandate to
submit a report on progress attained in the implementation of the
initiatives of the Plan of Action on Sustainable Development. The
report, to be made available prior to the 1998 Summit of the Americas,
was intended as a follow-up on the commitments entered into in Bolivia.
This paper is in compliance with the coordinating and follow-up roles
entrusted to the OAS.
224Kb - 50 pages
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