Brooke virtual event examines innovations that have improved resilience in disaster prone regions
On Tuesday 6 July Brooke participated in an official side event at the UN’s High Level Political Forum (HLPF) examining the importance of working livestock in rural communities across Central America and the innovations that have improved resilience, in the context of sustainable livelihoods and disaster preparedness and response.
Moderator Gerardo Huertas, a disaster risk reduction expert, was joined on the panel by Max Alejandro Gonzáles, Minister of Risk Management and National Contingencies of the Republic of Honduras, representing the Permanent Mission of Honduras to the United Nations, Yuko Kurauchi, Policy Specialist, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Beatriz Barrientos, Regional Director, Justicia Alimentaria VSF, Fredred Valdivia, Regional Representative, Brooke Latin America Central (BLAC), Norman Mora, National Training and Response Director, National System for the Prevention and Mitigation of Disasters, and Abdel García, Climate Change Project Coordinator, Centro Humboldt.
Addressing attendees, Gerardo said: “In rural communities, working livestock are a vital resource, enabling their owners to survive times of emergency.”
Imagine a world with no transport – no bus, no cars. Imagine having to come home from work, no water, nothing to cook with. That is what these animals mean to people. Without these animals, people in these regions could become climate change migrants.
Characterised by intense tectonic and volcanic activity, Central America is frequently exposed to disastrous events such as hurricanes and droughts. Three of the countries Brooke works in – Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua – are among the top 15 in the world with a greater climate risk, according to German Watch Global Climate Risk Index.
Panellists discussed the importance of ensuring working animals are included in disaster preparedness and how they contribute to both the short and long term aftermath of crises, as well as Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 13 (climate action), 1 (no poverty) and 2 (zero hunger).
BLAC’s Fredred Valdivia said: “Working animals help communities thrive after disaster. In all stages of risk management, working animals are relevant.”
The HLPF is the main UN platform on sustainable development and has a central role in the follow up and review of the SDGs at a global level. Brooke was also represented by Brooke Pakistan’s Naeem Abbas, who discussed One Health in brick kilns at a side event organised by the NGO Major Group.