Early Alerts Protect 600 Women-Led Families

Red Hábitat delivered early warning systems to the Mercedario Sector 7 and Sector 8 urbanizations in the city of El Alto, Bolivia, thus contributing to improving security and emergency response capacity in these communities. As a result of the training process promoted by Red Hábitat, the inhabitants of Mercedario now have a Community Early Warning System, designed to face risks such as floods, hailstorms or intense winds, phenomena that are increasingly recurrent in the region.

This initiative has been possible thanks to the commitment of the Risk Prevention Committees, who led the implementation of digital alarms capable of activating in real time in case of emergencies. The management and maintenance of these systems will be conducted by trained volunteer members of the committees, which ensures both their correct use and their sustainability over time. This installation is the result of a training process that was conducted over a month and a half, through a series of workshops in which the community received comprehensive training in the following topics:

• Adaptation to climate change: The origins of climate change and the factors that affect global warming were presented, providing a theoretical framework to understand its local impact.
• Co-responsible use of water: The approach of the Integrated and Co-responsible Water Management was explained, emphasizing the water sources that supply the city of El Alto, as well as the responsible use and consumption of water resources. In addition, wastewater treatment processes, risks associated with water and conflicts arising from its scarcity or excess were addressed.
• Disaster risk management: Key concepts such as risk, vulnerability and hazards, both natural and human-caused, were developed. Likewise, the importance of setting up contingency plans and strengthening community organization for effective prevention was emphasized.
• Preparation of the Risk Map: The construction of specific risk maps for urbanizations was deepened, generating a visual document that shows threats and vulnerabilities through four detailed maps and that allows the planning of the neighborhood.
• Disaster Risk Prevention Committees: Groups of volunteers from each neighborhood were formed in charge of leading prevention and initial response actions to disasters, coordinating closely with the neighborhood councils.
• Digital tools for prevention: Finally, the use of mobile devices and various applications as tools for risk prevention was addressed, teaching participants from the basics and strengthening the technological skills of those with earlier experience.

Links:

• News article on our website
• Red Habitat - Website
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