What recommendations does the U.N. make in the areas of natural disaster risk prevention and mitigation?
SM: We have to strike a balance between the urgent need to reestablish shelters for the vulnerable population and to rebuild stable houses and roofs that can withstand future hurricanes. We know that Cuba will always be in the Caribbean and will always be at risk of hurricanes. The challenge is to build with better quality, and not simply replace houses with new ones that remain vulnerable to natural phenomena, and this will require coordination among the entire international community, and work and cooperation with Cuban authorities. The challenge is not only to replace roofs but to build houses and buildings that are more resistant to floods and storms. IPS: And in the case of populations in low-lying coastal areas vulnerable to flooding? SM: In the case of the countrys 24 most vulnerable communities, we have worked for three years with Cubas civil defence system to establish an early warning system and strengthen local capacity with computers, radios, generators and power plants to
