Learning lessons from disaster recovery : the case of Honduras
Telford, John | Arnold, Margaret | ASONOG | Harth, Alberto
The Honduras study was conducted during September and October 2002 as part of the lessons learned after major natural disasters review of five countries, carried out by the ProVention Consortium. It comprised a field mission and a community survey. This is the first review of recovery in Honduras that examines all sectors. Hurricane Mitch was an exceptional event. It hit Honduras (and other areas of Central America, especially Nicaragua) from 25 October to 1 November, 1998. The hurricane remained static over the isthmus for days, resulting in the largest natural disaster experienced in Honduras in recent memory. Economic losses were estimated at some US$4 billion. The country was vulnerable and unprepared in terms of policy, systems, and resources for rapid recovery. The principal lesson from this study is that recovery is essentially a development issue. Recovery is inextricably intertwined with poverty and the vulnerability of the affected state and communities before, during, and after the disaster. Rather than pumping resources frantically once disaster hits, governments and donors should work to remove the constraints to development, thus reducing the risk of a disaster in the first place, and in the event of a disaster, accelerating appropriate recovery.
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