Cuba, Haiti to Work Together in Reducing Disaster Risks

Cuba and Haiti consolidate their collaboration in disaster risk reduction management through sharing knowledge and training as part of South-South cooperation.

According to authorities of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), both nations maintain similar levels of exposure to natural phenomena such as hurricanes, cyclones and drought.

These events have a very severe impact on food and nutritional security, according to a document delivered this Wednesday to Prensa Latina by the WFP in the framework of the 10th International Disaster Congress, which runs until Friday in the capital's Convention Palace.

Cuba - recalled the source - has accumulated experiences and methodologies to reduce the negative impacts of these phenomena.

As a challenge, the text points out, concrete actions are maintained, as long as gaps and needs are successfully identified.

Among Cuba's contributions to Haiti is the strengthening of hydro meteorological surveillance through the transfer of tools to improve monitoring and forecasting of events, the document adds.

Channels and communication routes have been identified to ensure that participants at all levels receive the information generated by the monitoring institutions in a timely manner, it also states.

Also, the source continues, Haitian technicians were trained in the monitoring of extreme weather events, and Haiti improved its hurricane monitoring and forecasting capabilities, which facilitates decision-making.

The National Meteorological Center of Haiti now has a numerical model to determine the possible trajectory of a hurricane with 48 and 72 hour time periods.

Capacity sharing between Haiti and Cuba was facilitated by WFP on the basis of Cuba's positive experiences in South-South cooperation.