Washington, D.C. -- A new report released by Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), argues that increased collaboration among developing country institutions involved in disaster management, including government agencies, universities, NGOs and health facilities, is critical to enhancing prevention of and preparation for future crises. 

The report, Disaster Management and Response: Capacity Building for Developing Country Institutions, is based on an extensive inventory of capacity-building activities in developing countries in Latin American, Africa and Asia conducted by ISIM, as well as three regional workshops held in Costa Rica (September 2004), Kenya (February 2005) and Thailand (May 2005) that brought together experts from local government agencies, NGOs and academia to assess the challenges and opportunities of building local capacities for managing both natural and humanitarian disasters.  

“This report is the culmination of extensive research on opportunities to maximize disaster response,” said Susan F. Martin, director of ISIM and co-author of the report. “With natural and humanitarian emergencies such as the Pakistani earthquake, Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami, it is critical that first responders in all countries improve their capacities to effectively respond to crises.”    

The report includes recommendations to improve disaster-management capacities through institutional capacity-building, information management, partnerships and involvement of local communities. Co-authors Martin and ISIM Senior Associate Patricia Weiss Fagen emphasize the importance of strategic investments in longer-term institutional and individual capacity-building and risk assessment to reduce the damage from disasters and potentially avoid them altogether.  

Specifically, the report argues for increased communication and talent-sharing between institutions involved in disaster management through support of training centers, university research and education programs, government agencies, health ministries and NGOs. The authors recommend tactics such as university-sponsored training programs for government officials involved in disaster response, improved healthcare facilities and training of healthcare professionals in disaster response techniques, and development of programs for human resource sharing among NGOs in developing countries.  

In addition, the authors note the role of the media in disseminating information and building awareness about potential disasters and risks of violence. They also recommend developing channels to increase partnerships between individuals working in disaster and emergency response fields in order to promote sharing of perspectives, information and expertise. In addition, the authors support increased participation of local communities in efforts to reduce their vulnerability to the effects of disasters and to promote increased response to early-warning signals.  

“What is called for is not a quick response with the latest ‘high tech’ equipment, but a long-term society-wide program of training and capacity building, beginning early and constantly updated,” the authors write. “Building capacities for prevention, preparation and recovery means learning to assess vulnerabilities, reinforcing expertise in relevant technical, social and scientific institutions, and establishing partnerships of mutual learning that extend from communities and districts to central authorities.”  

From December 2003 to June 2005, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided support for the regional workshops that brought together NGOs, academic institutions and government officials in developing countries to plan for ways to improve their capacity to respond to natural and manmade disasters and to develop an inventory of best practices in capacity building.  

About the Institute for the Study of International Migration    

The Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), founded in 1998, is part of Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and is affiliated with Georgetown’s Law Center. ISIM focuses on all aspects of international migration, conducting research and hosting symposia on U.S. immigration, refugee law and policies as well as migration issues affecting other countries. In addition, ISIM offers a Masters level certificate, preparing students to work in international organizations, government and private agencies specializing in emergency relief, human rights and humanitarian activities. For more information about ISIM please visit: http://www.georgetown.edu/sfs/programs/isim/.

About Georgetown University

Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs on its three campuses. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu.