Haiti - Security : Seismic risks, UNDP and its partners consolidate the achievements

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Haiti - Security : Seismic risks, UNDP and its partners consolidate the achievements
05/02/2019 12:01:58

Last week, a conference was held in Port-au-Prince, arouinf the thematic "Evolution of knowledge and prevention of seismic risk in Haiti", under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC), through the Bureau of Mines and Energy (BME) and the Technical Unit of Seismology (UTS); the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation through the National Center for Geo-Spatial Information (CNIGS); the geoscience master program of the Faculty of Sciences of the State University of Haiti (UEH) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The objective was to take stock and capitalize on the feedback of experiences since the 2010 earthquake.

This conference brought together seismologists, experts in natural hazards, researchers as well as technical and financial partners for sharing experiences and tools related to the knowledge, prevention, management and response to seismic risk in Haiti.

Since 2010, UNDP has strengthened its involvement in the field of knowledge of natural hazards, including earthquakes, by supporting the Government in the production of seismic microzoning, multi-hazard maps, risk prevention plans and disaster recovery contingency plans and by systematizing normative tools such as the methodological guide on natural hazards in urban areas under the leadership of the Ministry of Planning.

At present, UNDP supports multi-hazard mapping in the North West, South and Nippes departments, respectively, with funding from the European Union, Norway and Canada.

"In 9 years much work has been done in the field of risk in Haiti, but the road ahead is still long," admitted geological engineer Claude Prepetit, Director of the Bureau of Mines and Energy. The earthquake of 5.9 on the October 6 Richter scale affecting Port-de-Paix, Gros-Morne and Pilate causing 17 deaths, 333 injuries was a strong signal regarding the vulnerability of the country from the seismic point of view and the need to intensify actions in terms of knowledge of risks and their mastery.

UNDP, with a view to transferring skills, is supporting the UEH Geosciences/Geohazards Master's degree in order to foster the emergence of national expertise that can continue the action taken to improve knowledge of risks. A first cohort of 14 students are receiving training as part of this master's degree and have benefited from practical training involving many international experts in the context of a field camp organized by UNDP in the Nord department.

The UNDP also reiterates its commitment to promoting knowledge of seismic risk, notably by supporting the BME's Technical Seismology Unit, by equipping the unit with equipment and by promoting the creation of two additional seismic stations at Jérémie and at Mole Saint Nicolas, thanks to the funding of the Government of Japan.

HL/ HaitiLibre