PAHO/WHO Response to Hurricane Iris in Belize

1. PAHO/WHO Response to Hurricane Iris in Belize A case study of a post-disaster rehabilitation project.

2. Contents: • Introduction • Hurricane Iris • Rapid Health Assessment • Project Formulation • Water • Sanitation • Health Centres • The case of the Trio water system • Lessons Learned

3. Belize: Area - 8, 867 square miles Population - 250,000 Main ethnic groups - Mestizo, Creole, Maya, Garífuna Political - Independence 1981, parliamentary system Economy - sugar, citrus, bananas, tourism Main Threats: Hurricane (3 in the last 5 years) Floods Forest Fires Introduction

4. Hurricane Iris • October 8, 2001 • Category IV (145 mph) • 19ft. tidal surge • 22 dead • 20,000 displaced • 48 communities affected • Homes, schools, health centres damaged • Significant environmental damage - agriculture

9. Rapid Health Assessment • Carried out as outlined in National Hurricane Disaster Management Plan. • Emergency mobile teams provide essential services and conduct needs assessment. • Initial aerial assessment carried out. • Daily health facility surveillance • Daily shelter surveillance • Environmental health assessment

10. Project Formulation • Preliminary report (based on Rapid Health Needs Assessment) prepared Oct. 9th (one day after the storm). • International appeal launched on Oct. 10th • By October 12th several donors had pledged contributions. (ECHO, OFDA, DFID) • Project areas: water, sanitation, vector control, food safety, health services/facilities, epidemiological surveillance, posttraumatic stress, disaster response capacity. • Strategy: implementation at local level in co-ordination with the national level, with community participation.

11. Water • water quality testing equipment and reagents for the Public Health Bureau • water tanks distributed during the emergency period • 48 tanks (600 gal.) installed permanently in 20 affected rural communities • mitigation measures (secure base, hurricane strapping) • dual use: safe water for schools, and emergency supply • community water systems in two villages • construction and equipping of chlorine generating stations

17. Sanitation • 56 sanitary facilities constructed at 22 rural schools • local labour, etc. • modified design of the classic Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrine (cast concrete septic tank greatly increases both sanitation aspects and life span). • dual purpose: students’ daily use and emergencies • represents an advance - development - as well as introduction of element of mitigation.

22. Health Centres • Nine health centres rehabilitated, one new constructed. • repairs/replacement of roofs • replacement of windows and installation of metal shutters • rehabilitation of electrical systems and water tanks • implementation of mitigation measures

25. The case of the Trio water system The village: • recently recognized as a village (with newly created village council) • bananas, citrus, subsistence agriculture • Maya, Mestizo, Central American Immigrants • 98 houses, 383 inhabitants • no electricity or running water • storm damage to 90% of houses

26. Unforeseen problems/complications: • difficulties in organizing Water Board • conflicts arising (esp. around money, use of water) • village expansion • changing of established patterns of social interaction (e.g.women’s routines) • sustainability of project

27. Rehabilitated and expanded Water System in Trio Village

30. Lessons Learned • A post-disaster situation presents an opportunity for development but, as with any community development activity, a wide range of factors - cultural, social, political, etc. - have to be taken into account. Something like the construction of a water system is not simply an engineering project. Close follow-up and on-going support is essential to sustainability. • It is essential to share information, strategies etc., with all other actors involved - ministries, NGO’s, community based organizations, etc.