A new regional disaster preparedness initiative is drawing on experiences from communities in Honduras Sula Valley, where repeated hurricanes and tropical storms have exposed gaps in early warning, evacuation and emergency response systems.
The first field visit for the Pre Evacuation Platform for Latin America and the Caribbean was conducted this month in Honduras by the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and GNDR member Terram Pacis. Supported by Innovation Norway, the project aims to strengthen disaster preparedness through evidence and data beginning with Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
The delegation visited San Pedro Sula Choloma and Tela in northern Honduras, areas considered highly vulnerable to floods and other hydrometeorological hazards. Discussions with national authorities, local governments and civil society groups focused on the challenges communities face before and during disasters as well as lessons from previous emergencies.
The Sula Valley has experienced repeated major disasters. Hurricane Mitch in 1998 killed nearly 7,000 people in Honduras and significantly changed the country’s approach to disaster risk management. In November 2020, tropical storms Eta and Iota caused widespread flooding across the valley within days of each other.
The field visit included meetings with COPECO, Honduras national risk management institution, municipal emergency committees known as CODEM, the Red Cross, community leaders, civil society organisations, police and firefighters. The delegation also consulted the Regional Network for Risk Management in Central America and local GNDR members ASONOG, CASM, OCDIH, ODECO and ASIDE.
The visit highlighted progress in monitoring and early warning systems, hazard mapping, inter institutional coordination, evacuation education and infrastructure designed to strengthen community resilience. At the same time, participants identified continuing needs, including safer evacuation spaces, stronger community participation in data collection and urban planning that accounts for recurring flood and storm risks.
The Choloma Chamber of Commerce was also highlighted for its role in emergency response, demonstrating how businesses and private sector organisations can contribute to local disaster preparedness.
The initiative emphasises that disaster risk management extends beyond technology and infrastructure. Economic, social, cultural and environmental vulnerabilities can determine how severely communities are affected particularly when people have limited access to safe evacuation options and essential services.
The project also links disaster preparedness with wider challenges in Central America, including migration, violence against social leaders and organised crime. Organisers said understanding these interconnected risks is important when designing preparedness measures for vulnerable communities.
The Honduras visit is intended to inform the development of the Pre-Evacuation Platform, with the aim of using local knowledge, evidence and data to improve preparedness and help communities act before disasters occur.