IRIS 18th Annual Workshop Tucson, Arizona, June 8-10, 2006

1. “Since disasters know no boundaries, regional initiatives are the most effective and logical risk reduction mechanisms. Therefore, exchange and dissemination of information as well as good practices become critical issues.” Regional Session: Common threats and Geographical proximity. World Conference on Disaster Reduction. Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. January 18-22, 2005. http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr/thematic-sessions/regional-session.htm

2. IRIS 18th Annual Workshop Tucson, Arizona, June 8-10, 2006 Regional Disaster Information Center for Latin America and the Caribbean CRID By: María Teresa Casas

3. VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS EARTHQUAKES HURRICANES FLOODS SEVERE RAINS EL NIÑO HIGH WINDS LANDSLIDES SOIL LIQUEFACTION TSUNAMIS TORNADOES

4. Latin America and some of its major challenges…. • Disaster reduction is not a state policy in several countries • Educational programs with poor –none- disaster reduction content • Development projects with poor –none- effective disaster mitigation measures • Not all countries have building seismic codes nor multihazard codes for civil work constructions and few have applied them adequately • Need to strengthen national platforms with local and regional initiatives in collaboration with international mechanisms • And many more…..

5. IT ALL COMES TO Disaster Risk Reduction INFORMATION MANAGEMENT …. • What are the real information needs? • Who are the direct and indirect users? • How information will be disseminated easily and freely? • How to assure information is accurate, scientific, updated and reliable?

6. 2001 Strategic re-orientation Emphasis on Information Management CRID executes projects 1997 Four organizations join as partners under ISDR coordination. CRID is born Emphasis: Prevention and education 1994 ISDR joins CDD as sponsor Emphasis: Disaster reduction 1990 PAHO/WHO Disaster Documentation Center (CDD) Emphasis: Health. We have tried to provide an answer to these facts … With a cooperative effort to set up a regional information centre … An evolving CRID ... 2006 New Institutional Development Plan

7. CRID is a multi-organizational initiative, supported by: • International Strategy for Disaster Reduction of the United Nations (EIRD-ONU/UN-ISDR) • Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) • National Risk Prevention and Emergency Response Commission, Costa Rica (CNE) • Regional Office of Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) • Coordinating Centre for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America (CEPREDENAC)

8. Mission CRID has as a mission to promote the development of a prevention culture in the Latin American and Caribbean countries through compiling and disseminating disaster information, promoting cooperation efforts to improve risk management within the region.

10. Objectives • To improve compiling, processing and disseminating disaster information • To strengthen local and national capacity to establish and maintain disaster information centers • Development of information management products for users and associates • To promote the use of information technologies to manage and disseminate disaster information • To support the development of a Regional Disaster Information System

11. Services and Resources Offered • Assistance to users in searching and locating disaster information, by Internet, mail, telephone, etc. • Publication and distribution of specialized bibliographies • Internet access to a wide range of electronically formatted document collections (digitalized) • Distribution of publications and training material on disasters and health topics

12. Services and Resources Offered … • Development, editing and distribution of training material on management of information centers • Public information and technical documents distribution • Organization of information stands, participation in public awareness activities • Technical advising and training for implementing disaster information units • Management and implementation of technical cooperation projects

17. Products offered • Informative Minikits

18. Products offered • VCD: Controlled vocabulary on disasters • Toolkit for disaster information management • Specialized Bibliographies on disasters • Informative CDs:

19. Products offered

23. Our actual initiatives… • IDRC/CRID: Strengthening municipal capacities in disaster information management • IAI/CRID: Global warming and climatic change training institute • UN-ISDR/CRID: Regional inventory of disaster risk reduction education products • Disasters myth and realities • Democratization of information • Informative mini-kit: debris flows • VCD and Toolkit

24. How can CRID support you/your organization? • Bibliographical Collection with over 16,000 items on disasters information, 300 videos and more than 800 photos • Training and education modules in disasters information management • Thousands of users every month in regional network • CANDHI, PREDECAN • List of over 13,000 contacts • Collaboration in creation of clusters, networks, alliances, etc. • Linkage with other on-going initiatives in the region • Partnering with project development initiatives • Workshops, training sessions, virtual forums, etc. • Dissemination and visibility • Sustainability • And many other ways….

25. How can you support CRID?

26. Contact us: www.crid.or.cr E-mail:crid@crid.or.crPhone: (506) 296-3952 Fax: (506) 231-5973

27. THANK YOU!!