Agreement provides for educational actions for populations exposed to risks

The National Center for Monitoring and Natural Disaster Alerts (Cemaden) and the Brazilian Red Cross (CBV) signed, this Friday (31), a cooperation agreement that provides for the promotion of “educational actions with populations exposed to risks” . The two institutions start from the principle that the dissemination of scientific knowledge to populations in risk areas is one of the relevant action fronts for disaster prevention. In this sense, joint activities of a “preventive nature and focus on training human resources to assist in disaster risk management” are planned. According to the director of Cemaden, Osvaldo Moraes, the actions that can prevent or alleviate the problems caused by disasters involve the perception of risk; recognition of the threat (something, according to him, more related to how the population perceives a certain risk); for response preparation; and for actions related to the flow of information. Moraes explains that, “the educational activity of preparing the individual to react at the moment of the disaster is as essential as the alert”. Communication, he adds, must go “beyond communication between institutions”, also covering “how to communicate with people who are on the verge of a disaster”, he said after participating in the signing of the agreement with the Brazilian Red Cross. “We need, in addition to issue a warning, make it reach people”, he added, arguing that “education presupposes informing young people about ways to recognize risks, even enabling them to create monitoring mechanisms”. “another level [em termos] of visibility and scale for communication”, he added. CVB president Julio Cals de Alencar recalled that disaster situations require quick responses. “Knowing what each one is going to do, we can be prepared much earlier for this response, reducing human suffering,” he said. The agreement signed today does not provide for the transfer of resources, but the sharing of information and the preparation of courses, in order to promote educational activities with populations exposed to risks, on a preventive basis and with a focus on training human resources.

Agência Brasil