Haiti, ranked as the most vulnerable country in the Latin America and the Caribbean region and the 14th most vulnerable country in the world, is on the trajectory of seasonal hurricanes and is subject periodically to extreme weather conditions especially because of the degradation of its environment, deforestation, the drying up of rivers and soil erosion.

Although the Government of Haiti has made considerable efforts in recent years to coordinate preparedness and response efforts, for example following the earthquake of October 2018 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25908-haiti-earthquake-consolidated-report-of-the-earthquake-of-october-6th.html , it is always urgent to help the Haitian institutions to strengthen their capacities and to be better prepared for disasters indicates the UN humanitarian organization OCHA. For example, humanitarian and development organizations work closely with the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) to improve its ability to adequately prepare for the hurricane season (June 1 to November 30, 2019).

This joint strengthening includes contingency planning, pre-positioning of emergency stocks, rehabilitation of emergency shelters, sensitization of at-risk populations and training activities for key stakeholders. Despite these early milestones in preparedness, challenges remain in the speedy and effective preparation of all that is needed to cope with a sudden hurricane or extreme natural phenomenon. For example, the DPC, which is pivotal in coordinating an emergency response in Haiti, does not have a sufficient budget and faces enormous operational challenges that hinder its ability to cope fully with emergency situations.

In addition, on Wednesday 19 June at the Royal Oasis Hotel, the DPC and the National Center for Geospatial Information organized a national forum on data management related to disasters. The opportunity to present to the general public, the preliminary work done in the framework of the development of the database of the National System of Risk Management (SNGRD). This first national forum brought together national decision-makers, SNGRD technical and financial partners, experts, academia and civil society representatives to discuss existing data management practices and make proposals to improve the current disaster data management structure.

The DPC, which makes data management one of its main priorities has already made efforts in this directorate by the implementation of several data collection tools in disasters but also in a period of "stability". The database that was at the heart of the discussions at this forum contributes to the resolution of challenges related to the collection and management of information in crisis situations.

Note that the development of the database is funded by the United Nations Fund for Human Security and implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

HL/ HaitiLibre