February 27, 2015

OAS-White Helmets Program requests proposals for assistance in Anglophone OAS Caribbean Member States

The objective of the Request for Proposal (RfP) on Voluntarism in Disaster Risk Management and Humanitarian Assistance in Anglophone OAS Caribbean Member States is contribute to the strengthening of the institutional and human potential of the Anglophone OAS Caribbean Member States for Disaster Risk Management,humanitarian assistance in cases of disaster or any other emergencies, and the subsequent rehabilitation phase; and disaster mitigation, prevention and preparedness...Read More

What happened this week?

Dominican Republic: Rains and Floods. Provinces of Espaillat, Puerto Plata and Maria Trinidad Sanchez were declared in Red alert by possible floods. The rains that have affected several regions of the north of the country in the last days left; a dead woman, more than 15,475 displaced peoples sheltering with friends and family, 3,979 affected homes, 20 destroyed and 30 isolated communities. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC), declared Yellow Alert for three more provinces as a result of the rains generated by a frontal Trough system...Read More

Bolivia: Floods. Pando 3,200 people, 790 families affected by the floods, increasing the shelters to 15. The affected are being assisted by the local Government with National support...Read More

Argentina, Province of Córdoba: Floods. The evacuated figure amounted to 600 in the province of Córdoba, affecting the departments of San Justo, Río Primero and Union. There are small flooded localities, with energy supply problems as well as public transportation as roads are blocked. A meteorological alert has been issued...Read More

Brazil: Water shortage. Sao Paulo devastated by its worst drought on record...Read More

Interesting Facts

New model illustrates similarities between landslides and earthquakes. A model reveals the analogy between the mechanics of ground movements and tectonic faults, opening up new avenues for research into the dynamics of these faults... Read More

What's new in Disaster Risk Reduction?

Jamaican Government Moves To Reduce Fiscal Exposure To Disaster. Jamaica is contributing $427.5 million to the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRF) next fiscal year despite the fact that it has never been able to draw down on the funds after a natural disaster...Read More

Bolivia/World Bank: Strengthening Disaster Response and Climate Change Mechanisms. The World Bank (WB) Board of Executive Directors approved US$200 million in financing today to strengthen Bolivia’s legal and institutional framework for the comprehensive management of disaster and climate risks...Read More

February 20, 2015

What happened this week?

Argentina: Córdoba Storms. At least 7 people are reported dead, 2 missing, more than 1,500 homes affected and a thousand evacuated... Read More

Bolivia: Rainfall (winter season). There are eight departments affected; the number of victims in the country has increased to 25, including a death caused by an avalanche in the municipality of Huanuni. 64 municipalities have suffered damages due to hail, heavy rainfall, floods and landslides. 17,400 families have been left homeless... Read More

Mexico: Snowstorm. The National Civil Protection Agency declared an emergency in 18 municipalities due to a storm that occurred from 11 - 13 February 2015. This declaration activated resources from the Emergency Response Fund (Fonden), for 18 municipalities in Chihuahua, in northern Mexico... Read More

Chile, Bio Bio Region: Forest fires. 50 people evacuated 10 homes affected in the village San Patricio, Colcura sector, in the town of Lota. There are a total of 49 active fires affecting approximately 10,000 hectares of vegetation... Read More

Interesting Facts

2014 proves hottest on record, driven in part by climate change. Two separate analyses by NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that temperatures across the globe last year were the warmest since 1880... Read More 

NASA’s SMAP Observatory To Improve Drought Prediction, Planning For Natural Disasters. Scientists will now be able to more accurately observe and monitor moisture levels within the land itself, through an orbiting observatory named SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive... Read More 

What's new in Disaster Risk Reduction?

World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction: The countdown begins.  The Third UN World Conference on disaster risk reduction, will be held in the city of Sendai (Japan) from 14-18 March 2015... Read More

Ricoh Japan to Provide IT System to U.N. World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. Sharing messages on disaster risk reduction and reconstruction through a digital signage system... Read More 

February 13, 2015

What happened this week?

Guatemala: Volcanic activity. Fire Volcano. An institutional orange alert is in effect as the eruptive activity persists. The activity has been standardized with weak and moderate explosions, expelling columns of fine ash to 4300 meter above sea level on a south east direction. Some explosions generate rumbles and shock waves which are weak and moderate. 110 flights were canceled (6 thousand affected passengers), school activities were suspended in 3 communities as a preventive measure. Activities are returning to the normalcy... Read More

Ecuador: Floods Province of Manabi: Emergency Operations committees (COE) of Urdaneta, Ventanas and Montalvo, in Los Ríos, declared yesterday the emergency in its jurisdictions in light of the impact by the rains of last weekend. Personnel from the Risk Management Secretariat were mobilized to coordinate the response to the communities that were more affected by the floods... Read More

Dominican Republic: Esmeraldas Province. Approximately 500 families in three counties have been affected by the flooding of rivers due to heavy rains. A report is being prepared of the damage caused by the rising levels of the Eloy Alfaro, San Lorenzo and Verde rivers... Read More

Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake Hits The Chile-Argentina Border. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northeastern Chile on Wednesday, very close to the border with Argentina, the U.S. Geological Survey said... Read More

Interesting Facts

Earthquake early warning begins testing in Pacific Northwest. Earthquake warning system counts down seconds to impact... Read More 

Buildings with 'rocking' technology would be more earthquake-resilient. Computer modeling shows this alternative design for a three-story building frame suffers less damage than current designs used in earthquake-prone areas. Columns of the steel-braced frame are tethered to the foundation by viscous damping and steel-yielding devices that allow the building to rock during a quake. The devices stretch and compress, dissipating seismic energy... Read More 

What's new in Disaster Risk Reduction?

UN disaster reduction chief hails ‘major milestone’ in earthquake risk assessment. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) has welcomed the launch of a new web-based platform that will provide global access to critical information on earthquakes and enable ‘cutting-edge’ risk assessment aimed at limiting the hazard of these potentially devastating natural events... Read More

Obama proposes $5 million for earthquake early warning system. Obama has proposed spending $5 million in the upcoming federal budget on the West Coast’s earthquake early warning network, which would be a significant boost to the fledgling system... Read More 

February 6, 2015

What happened this week?

Colombia: Department of Choco. Municipalities of Quibdó, Bojayá and Alto Baudó. Rains, at least 11,224 Afro-Colombians and indigenous population have been affected by floods and landslides and a wounded child. After the increase in the region which is causing the growing of the rivers Atrato, Baudó and its tributaries. The report indicates 7 homes destroyed, 22 damaged and an unknown number of homes at risk... Read More

Bolivia: Rains. Six Departments in emergency (30 Municipalities):  Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Oruro, Santa Cruz, La Paz and Potosí, death toll rises to 23 due to the rains. 54 municipalities have registered events related to the current winter season such as freshets, hailstorms, landslides and floods... Read More

Peru: Rains. Thus far this year, 12.000 hectares have been affected;  548 with potato and quinoa crops were lost completely as well as confirmed dead... Read More

Interesting Facts

2014 warmest year on record, say US researchers. 2014 was the warmest year on record, with global temperatures 0.68C (1.24F) above the long-term average, US government scientists have said... Read More 

What's new in Disaster Risk Reduction?

UN holds preparatory conference on humanitarian policy in Budapest. The Budapest conference, one of eight regional events, was organised in preparation for the first humanitarian UN summit. The two-day conference is being attended by 250 experts from 54 UN member states... Read More

WHS chief: Turkey a role model for the world in humanitarian aid. Istanbul will host the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), which is the first global summit on humanitarian action of this size and scope... Read More