The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and Taiwan (Province of China) announced the launch of the Haiti/DR Disaster Mitigation Project, an innovative crisis and risk prevention intervention that melds high-technology innovation with low-technology solutions to reduce the impact of natural hazards in the communities of South East Haiti and the South East border region between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The six-month project involves mapping vulnerable communities and weaknesses in the immediate environment through handheld GPS. This initiative will also develop, with support from community leaders and using community structures already in place, a series of preventive measures to minimize risk and prevent damage during disasters triggered by natural hazards.
In addition, PADF will apply mitigation measures to reduce disasters risks and develop monitoring processes to ensure the preparation of the pre-disaster and post-disaster actions, as well as coordinate cross-border mitigation activities and reinforce cross-border cooperation in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The program is part of a $2.5 million PADF fund established by Taiwan (Province of China) in December 2012 to implement a Regional Disaster Assistance and Reconstruction program over five years in Latin America and the Caribbean.
"PADF will build on its existing programs and extensive networks in the region to implement critical supports in a zone that is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and other natural disasters," said Nadia Cherrouk, Country Director for PADF in Haiti. "We are very proud of the opportunity to continue collaborating with Taiwan in helping and supporting communities who are vulnerable."
