Remembering Hurricane Mitch: 5 years later

Hurricane Mitch in 1998 was a disaster that no one in Central America will ever forget. The enormous loss of lives, livelihoods and property completely changed the region’s attitude and perceptions towards natural hazards, and five years later various regional actors have taken the initiative to plan a forum entitled Mitch+5 that will take place in late 2003.

Mitch+5 aims to provide the opportunity for a review and evaluation of what has occurred in the context of disaster reduction since the hurricane in Central America, assessing whether the vulnerabilities to natural disasters that existed five years ago have since increased or been reduced. The event will involve international organizations, regional institutions, non-governmental organizations and communities to reflect on the lessons learned from the Mitch experience and consider the direction that disaster reduction in the region is taking towards the future.

For further information on Mitch+5, please refer to www.cepredenac.org