Natural disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: national, regional and international interactions

The pages that follow are necessarily superficial in covering ‘affected government’ responses and in elaborating the impacts and steps taken in specific disasters. The report is divided into three segments. First, the report describes the institutional structures and mechanisms put in place to deal with disasters. These include (a) the organisational networks that have been created at the regional and sub-regional levels to cope with and enhance responses to disasters and to link with national mechanisms in the member countries; and (b) the international organisations, including NGOs, operating regionally and nationally. The nature of the regional and international operations is a major focus of this report.

Second, referring to the disaster emergencies in 2007 in Peru, Bolivia, and Mexico, the report will elaborate actions taken during and after disasters,mtheir consequences, and the shortcomings of national and international efforts. The case summaries will cover different aspects of each country’s experiences that shed light on interactions between national and international actors and mechanisms.

Third, the report will review the shortcomings in both national and international disaster support, and discuss points of contestation and debate between and among international, regional and local entities.