Disasters occur worldwide and are part of everyone’s life. Ever since they were first recorded, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes have marked the history of humanity and its evolution. Today, our efforts focus on preparing for and responding to the impacts of these events. This way we can reduce material damages and human suffering.

Disaster risk management is a priority for many countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. Every year, the hurricane season systematically punishes several Caribbean countries. The rest of the region is prone to devastating earthquakes, the most recent ones occurring in Mexico and Ecuador.

In Peru, Colombia and Argentina, amongst other countries, the El Niño and La Niña phenomenon can generate from torrential rains, landslides and floods to severe droughts, threatening people’s lives and their access to basic services such as water and food.  — blog.wb.org/blogs