At the time of writing these words, once a major earthquake disaster has just happened in a country plagued by poverty and destitution. Haiti is a nation of 10 million inhabitants, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. It enjoys the rank of 149 out of 182 countries listed in the index of human development (human development index) of UNDP, a per capita income of $ 610, a life expectancy of 61 years and among illiterate adults in the 38%. The statistics, however, are too arid to be able to explain the suffering inherent in this situation. In addition, Haiti is prone to frequent floods and hurricanes sometimes, as Jeanne in 2004. He had not had a big earthquake almost from its foundation or since 1770, but so is the 'gap' seismic margins of tectonic plates, the zones where the deformation of the crust increases to the point of a huge and sudden rupture.
The earthquake of January 12, 2010 was powerful (M = 7.1), shallow hypocenter (the initial point of rupture of the earth's crust), and with an epicenter just 16 miles from Port-au-Prince metropolitan area that contains 20% of the national population. I write only three days after the disaster, to a point where there is still no indication of the figures of mortality and morbidity. Probably these quantities will never be established with accuracy, they are the problems of data collection a country like Haiti.
While in rich countries, major disasters can absorb something like 0.2% of national resources, the proportion may be orders of magnitude greater in poor countries. Both Haiti and Nicaragua have found their economic development delayed for decades because of the devastation caused by natural disasters, including loss of employment, infrastructure and other assets of national importance, and an unbearable burden of rebuilding and reconstruction. In fact, with the addition of political and military instability, and corruption, some parts of Managua, Nicaragua, have not yet been rebuilt after the earthquake of 1972.
In a more positive sense, the occurrence of a major natural disaster (a politically neutral phenomenon, it is known) provides a good opportunity to strengthen the processes of reconciliation and building of governance through the exercise of international diplomacy of disasters ", a neodisciplina almost ingrained. Moreover, the international community has not shown great interest in investing heavily in disaster preparedness, even when great events have graphically demonstrated the need. For example, when Hurricane Mitch struck Central America 8 countries and the Caribbean, the rich countries organized an aid package worth less than 3% of what they were spending together on the rescue of investors in hedge funds on Wall Street, in Indeed, the rescue of failed financial gamblers. It is hoped that the new emphasis on disaster risk reduction (disaster risk reduction, DRR) in the international structures to address climate change may affect any beneficiary for the about reducing the impacts of earthquakes.
Vulnerability to disasters is an innate property of the people and things that is difficult to measure. By analogy, as friction is mobilized by events. So it is expressed as the dangers become disasters when they impact. Abruptly, the seismic vulnerability of Haiti is revealed later in a catastrophic impact that caused destruction on a scale rarely seen (may be outdated in a few other places in the world, including Tehran, Istanbul, Kathmandu and Tokyo). In Port-au-Prince many of the most strategic buildings have collapsed, including the National Palace, the Hospital of Petionville and the headquarters of UN forces, A MINUSTAH. The slums of the poor were devastated an a way that is rarely seen in the most substantial and permanent building vernacular. The loss of human lives has been devastating, not only among ordinary citizens, but between the Haitian and foreign staff of critical importance to the rescue. It is hoped that the international community, in order to bring the disaster risk reduction to the permanent center of attention, as they say in English through mainstreaming, will seek to facilitate the reconstruction of key infrastructure and critical facilities in order sufficient to withstand the next disaster and thus remain able to play a key role when it comes to the next time to launch rescue work. For now, the situation is chaotic and inefficient to the point of being almost impossible.
Up to 90% of deaths occurring in earthquakes occur in countries and the poorest regions of the world. The only reason why these areas do not report even the most damage costs due to poverty of their property: therefore, the figures of money are not diagnostic of the degree of suffering.
Poverty and vulnerability to disasters are not perfect synonyms. At least, human ingenuity has allowed some poor communities to improve their circumstances, and build resilience to face the risk of disaster. What happens, for example in the mountains of Nepal in front to floods and landslides. Whatever the financial constraints, a sense of self-determination through mass participation always acts towards reducing disaster risk. Civil society organizations, governments and businesses must work together under the precepts of the Hyogo Framework for Action, 2002-2015, the development model promoted resilience dall'ISDR, the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. This example, unfortunately not, Afghanistan (another of the most seismic of the world) is indicative. A general lack of security, stability and governance structures has prevented the creation of civil protection and left as the only alternative a mere improvisation.
The international community is sensitive to the issue of major natural disasters. Furthermore, with the change of climate, reared in sea level, and the intensification of meteorological phenomena, it becomes clear that in future disasters will be larger and more devastated than before if you are unable to enhance resilience. However, despite an abundance of world-wide debate on the need to change from one response to disasters to an attitude that encourages prevention and mitigation of future impacts, there are few tangible developments. Thus, the earthquake in El Salvador in 2001 was in many ways a repeat of the 1986, including some of the measures emergency use.
restricting the discussion to more immediate forms of assistance, the convergence of up to 2000 foreign specialists in search and rescue from all over the world, although it is necessary and welcome, is simply not an efficient way to save people's lives injured and trapped alive under the rubble. A few days before rescuers arrived 36 hours after an earthquake, while the average time of survival under the rubble are generally well below 24 hours, and often under 12 hours, according to local conditions. The cost per life saved of this system is astronomically high, especially in comparison with what could be done with resources already in place. Dato che si sappia benissimo dove nel mondo avverranno i maggiori disastri naturali del futuro, sarebbe ora di promuovere un grande sforzo internazionale per incoraggiare le preparazioni locali. Se non si può ancora iniziare con la prevenzione dei disastri a livello locale, almeno cerchiamo di aumentare la capacità di reagire per bene da basi ubicati sul posto. Questo significa trasferire tecnologia, attrezzi, esperienza e formazione a dove sarà necessaria. Significa, inoltre, assicurare che la prontezza sia permanentemente mantenuta, tramite la preparazione sostenibile, un processo che richiede tenacità, organizzazione, generosità e attenzione indivisa. Se la comunità internazionale non dimostra queste qualità, il prossimo grande disastro will be another opportunity to tell the same disturbing story, in which predictable miseries are described as if they were unexpected and incomprehensible.
The earthquake of January 12, 2010 was powerful (M = 7.1), shallow hypocenter (the initial point of rupture of the earth's crust), and with an epicenter just 16 miles from Port-au-Prince metropolitan area that contains 20% of the national population. I write only three days after the disaster, to a point where there is still no indication of the figures of mortality and morbidity. Probably these quantities will never be established with accuracy, they are the problems of data collection a country like Haiti.
While in rich countries, major disasters can absorb something like 0.2% of national resources, the proportion may be orders of magnitude greater in poor countries. Both Haiti and Nicaragua have found their economic development delayed for decades because of the devastation caused by natural disasters, including loss of employment, infrastructure and other assets of national importance, and an unbearable burden of rebuilding and reconstruction. In fact, with the addition of political and military instability, and corruption, some parts of Managua, Nicaragua, have not yet been rebuilt after the earthquake of 1972.
In a more positive sense, the occurrence of a major natural disaster (a politically neutral phenomenon, it is known) provides a good opportunity to strengthen the processes of reconciliation and building of governance through the exercise of international diplomacy of disasters ", a neodisciplina almost ingrained. Moreover, the international community has not shown great interest in investing heavily in disaster preparedness, even when great events have graphically demonstrated the need. For example, when Hurricane Mitch struck Central America 8 countries and the Caribbean, the rich countries organized an aid package worth less than 3% of what they were spending together on the rescue of investors in hedge funds on Wall Street, in Indeed, the rescue of failed financial gamblers. It is hoped that the new emphasis on disaster risk reduction (disaster risk reduction, DRR) in the international structures to address climate change may affect any beneficiary for the about reducing the impacts of earthquakes.
Vulnerability to disasters is an innate property of the people and things that is difficult to measure. By analogy, as friction is mobilized by events. So it is expressed as the dangers become disasters when they impact. Abruptly, the seismic vulnerability of Haiti is revealed later in a catastrophic impact that caused destruction on a scale rarely seen (may be outdated in a few other places in the world, including Tehran, Istanbul, Kathmandu and Tokyo). In Port-au-Prince many of the most strategic buildings have collapsed, including the National Palace, the Hospital of Petionville and the headquarters of UN forces, A MINUSTAH. The slums of the poor were devastated an a way that is rarely seen in the most substantial and permanent building vernacular. The loss of human lives has been devastating, not only among ordinary citizens, but between the Haitian and foreign staff of critical importance to the rescue. It is hoped that the international community, in order to bring the disaster risk reduction to the permanent center of attention, as they say in English through mainstreaming, will seek to facilitate the reconstruction of key infrastructure and critical facilities in order sufficient to withstand the next disaster and thus remain able to play a key role when it comes to the next time to launch rescue work. For now, the situation is chaotic and inefficient to the point of being almost impossible.
Up to 90% of deaths occurring in earthquakes occur in countries and the poorest regions of the world. The only reason why these areas do not report even the most damage costs due to poverty of their property: therefore, the figures of money are not diagnostic of the degree of suffering.
Poverty and vulnerability to disasters are not perfect synonyms. At least, human ingenuity has allowed some poor communities to improve their circumstances, and build resilience to face the risk of disaster. What happens, for example in the mountains of Nepal in front to floods and landslides. Whatever the financial constraints, a sense of self-determination through mass participation always acts towards reducing disaster risk. Civil society organizations, governments and businesses must work together under the precepts of the Hyogo Framework for Action, 2002-2015, the development model promoted resilience dall'ISDR, the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. This example, unfortunately not, Afghanistan (another of the most seismic of the world) is indicative. A general lack of security, stability and governance structures has prevented the creation of civil protection and left as the only alternative a mere improvisation.
The international community is sensitive to the issue of major natural disasters. Furthermore, with the change of climate, reared in sea level, and the intensification of meteorological phenomena, it becomes clear that in future disasters will be larger and more devastated than before if you are unable to enhance resilience. However, despite an abundance of world-wide debate on the need to change from one response to disasters to an attitude that encourages prevention and mitigation of future impacts, there are few tangible developments. Thus, the earthquake in El Salvador in 2001 was in many ways a repeat of the 1986, including some of the measures emergency use.
restricting the discussion to more immediate forms of assistance, the convergence of up to 2000 foreign specialists in search and rescue from all over the world, although it is necessary and welcome, is simply not an efficient way to save people's lives injured and trapped alive under the rubble. A few days before rescuers arrived 36 hours after an earthquake, while the average time of survival under the rubble are generally well below 24 hours, and often under 12 hours, according to local conditions. The cost per life saved of this system is astronomically high, especially in comparison with what could be done with resources already in place. Dato che si sappia benissimo dove nel mondo avverranno i maggiori disastri naturali del futuro, sarebbe ora di promuovere un grande sforzo internazionale per incoraggiare le preparazioni locali. Se non si può ancora iniziare con la prevenzione dei disastri a livello locale, almeno cerchiamo di aumentare la capacità di reagire per bene da basi ubicati sul posto. Questo significa trasferire tecnologia, attrezzi, esperienza e formazione a dove sarà necessaria. Significa, inoltre, assicurare che la prontezza sia permanentemente mantenuta, tramite la preparazione sostenibile, un processo che richiede tenacità, organizzazione, generosità e attenzione indivisa. Se la comunità internazionale non dimostra queste qualità, il prossimo grande disastro will be another opportunity to tell the same disturbing story, in which predictable miseries are described as if they were unexpected and incomprehensible.
