As explained by Aris Arias Batalla, Red Cross Operations and Relief Officer here, the goal is to prepare participants for using participatory tools that help identify vulnerabilities, reduce housing risks and encourage safer construction practices.

The event is defined by the organizers as a Regional Participatory Awareness Workshop on Safe Housing (PASS), an initiative aimed at promoting more resilient housing and environments in response to emergency situations, assured the specialist.

During the workshops, topics related to the analysis of the built environment, community diagnosis, planning for safe habitats and preventive risk management are addressed, with emphasis on the role of communities as protagonists of preparedness and response actions.

The initiative also aims to strengthen the capacity of Red Cross staff to support populations located in areas exposed to natural hazards, through awareness-raising processes that promote solutions adapted to the effects of climate change.

The province is located in one of the areas of greatest seismic risk in the country and hosts the National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS), an institution responsible for monitoring the activity of earthquakes and the study of seismic danger in Cuba.

The PASS regional workshop adds to these efforts by sharing knowledge among specialists and communities, to promote strategies for safe accommodation and greater responsiveness to the challenges posed by extreme events and climate change in Cuba’s east.

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