Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Municipal Integrated Risk Management for Disaster Vulnerability Reduction

On July 4, 2007, the School of Philosophy, History and Humanities of the University of El Salvador, jointly with the Risk, Disaster and Complex Emergency Management Research Institute (IIDEC), held the Third Annual Academic Day 2007 in the city of Buenos Aires, in line with the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015, and the Millennium Development Goals.

Speakers and participants discussed a number of issues related to the current regional situation, after more than two years since the holding of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) in Kobe, Japan, in January 2005. They also referred to the many disaster prevention and mitigation actions undertaken in the Americas, highlighted the role of Argentina, and discussed the recent creation of the United Nations Support Group, and the role of the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR).

Participants also placed emphasis on the strategic value of institutional communications, as an important aspect to consolidate local integrated risk management and to strengthen vulnerability reduction. Another issue discussed was the pivotal role of universities as human resource training centers with specific functions at the municipal level, and as institutions responsible for disseminating knowledge and research.

Among the participants were the Dean of the School, Juan C. Lucero Schmidt; Dr. Carlos Zaballa, general coordinator of the UN-USAL-IIDEC initiative titled White Helmets; Dr. Roberto Ippolito, national director of Civil Protection of the Republic of Argentina; Dr. Marcos Escajadillo, head of Civil Defense in Rosario (Santa Fe, Argentina); Ms. Gloria Bratschi, international risk management consultant and communications specialist, IIDEC, Mendoza. Argentina; Mr. José Eduardo Stevenazzi, OFDA/USAID specialist; and Mr. Luis Carlos Martínez Medina, director of the Risk Management Research and Training Center, Armenia, Colombia.

For further information, please contact:
Gloria Bratschi
gloria_bratschi@yahoo.com.ar