Agatha Exposes Central
America's Many Vulnerabilities
By Thelma Mejía and Danilo Valladares
GUATEMALA (IPS) - Guatemala, El
Salvador and Honduras, which form the
so-called Central American Northern
Triangle, have many weak points when it
comes to natural disasters. The were
exposed once again this week by tropical
storm Agatha, which claimed nearly 200
lives and left millions of dollars in
infrastructural damage.
The combination of poverty and the lack
of land-use regulation resulted in
another regional catastrophe that hit
the poorest the hardest. Many live on
unstable hillsides or riverbanks --
zones that were already labelled "high
risk" to the effects of heavy rains or
earthquakes.
According to initial figures from the
three countries, 156 people died in
Guatemala, 18 in Honduras and 11 in El
Salvador as a result of Agatha.
In Guatemala, the storm, which had
dissipated by May 30, damaged more than
24,000 homes, affecting more than
400,000 people. The search continues for
some 100 people who disappeared in
floods or landslides.
States of emergency were declared in
both Honduras and El Salvador, with at
least 30,000 people left homeless.
José Escribá, of the Guatemalan
Geological Society, says the lack of
effective land-use regulation is the
main cause of this latest disaster.
"There are no serious policies to
determine where the population should be
situated. Everyone thinks that they can
live anywhere they like, but these
tragedies prove just the opposite,"
Escribá told IPS.
He believes that this region -- which
faces natural threats from hurricanes,
earthquakes and volcanic activity --
needs strict policies that demarcate
areas for housing, industry, forests and
other natural areas. Governments also
should relocate the poorest families to
safer areas, because most lack the means
to do so themselves, he said.
Guatemala, with a population of about 13
million, is one of Latin America's
poorest countries. Half of its people
live below the poverty line, while 17
percent are considered indigent,
according to the United Nations.
Walter Wintzer, head of preparedness and
response at the Coordination Centre for
Natural Disaster Prevention in Central
America, told IPS that poverty is a
determining factor in a catastrophe.
"Someone who doesn't have the money to
buy land in a safe place will settle on
a hillside," he said, adding that no
country in Central American has
effective land-use laws to prevent this
from occurring.
Wintzer noted three fundamental aspects
for preventing and mitigating natural
disasters, but stressed that resources
are also essential for dealing with the
emergencies when they happen.
In addition to standardised land-use
policies for house construction, he
believes it is important to begin formal
training in primary and secondary
schools so the region's children and
young people have greater awareness
about disaster prevention.
Thirdly, he said, a political commitment
is needed from governments to apply the
laws and use the information they
already have on risk mitigation.
The Coordination Centre for Natural
Disaster Prevention in Central America
is an inter-governmental regional body
that belongs to the Central American
Integration System.
Agatha has caused additional problems
for the people of the Northern Triangle.
The heavy rains washed away crops,
driving up prices for vegetables and
basic grains, which will worsen the
area's food crisis, warn UN agencies.
Tegucigalpa Mayor Ricardo Álvarez told
IPS that many lives had been saved.
However, he acknowledged, "since
Hurricane Mitch (in 1998), the Honduran
capital -- one of the areas hit hardest
-- was still extremely vulnerable."
Hurricane Mitch claimed more than 10,000
lives, while the 2005 tropical storm
Stan left several hundred dead, not to
mention the millions of people in the
region who lost their homes and
belongings.
Carlos Sabillón, a natural disaster
expert in Honduras, said the Central
American countries need to prepare joint
regional strategies for prevention and
mitigation. He expressed particular
concern because the hurricane season --
Jun. 1 to Nov. 30 in the Atlantic, May
15 to Nov. 30 in the Pacific - - is just
getting under way.
The region's fragility in the face of
hurricanes was made clear by the
destruction of Mitch 12 years ago, he
said.
Agatha caused serious damage to
infrastructure in the three countries,
the result of landslides and flooding.
Guatemala suffered a double blow from
nature in the last week, with the May 27
eruption of the Pacaya volcano, south of
the capital. One journalist was killed
and Tegucigalpa was covered in ash. The
airport was shut down until Tuesday. |
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