A simulation exercise of an extreme drought event and preparatory workshops were carried out for the implementation of the Drought Early Warning and Management System-SIGAT, in the project implementation area in the state of Guárico, Venezuela.

Guárico, Venezuela. 20 May 2022. Within the framework of the activities for the implementation of the Early Warning Systems for droughts, a technical mission was carried out from 9 to 20 May 2022 in the cities of Las Mercedes, Valle de La Pascua and Tucupido.

These actions are implemented in the framework of the project Strengthening national and regional drought and flood risk monitoring and management systems in a context of climate change and desertification in Andean countries, which is funded by the European Union through the Euroclima+ programme and implemented by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the French Development Agency (AFD).

As part of the mission, actions were carried out in two stages. The first, from 9 to 13 May, included:

- Training on the basic fundamentals of Drought Monitoring by Lic. Rafael Hernández of INAMEH and SIGAT operation in the event of droughts by the Euroclima+ project team in the territory, Eng. Jhonatan Muñoz. This training was accompanied by a practical exercise for the identification of roles and protocols, highlighting the actions of monitoring, communication, warning and emergency response to events associated with extreme drought, aimed at members of the local tables of the municipalities of Chaguaramas, Las Mercedes, Tucupico and Valle de la Pascua, using the Unified Command Post - PMU as the method of application.
- Theoretical and practical training on forest fire fighting in rural communities by Lcdo. Argenis Sanchez, professor at the Universidad Nacional Experimental de la Seguridad. - UNES. This exercise was carried out in a rural area and was aimed at strengthening the capacities of members of local committees, residents of the community or agro-productive properties and staff of the different institutions involved in drought risk management. As part of the activities, a simulation of a forest fire event associated with an extreme drought was carried out. 

The second stage of the mission was carried out from 16 to 20 May and during these days the extreme drought simulation exercise was carried out with key actors and members of the Drought Management and Emergency Committee (CGES) in the four prioritised municipalities: Chaguaramas, Valle de la Pascua, Las Mercedes and Tucupido, in order to put into practice the drought management and response protocols in the project implementation area. Prior to the simulation, a presentation of an extreme drought scenario was shown using a fictitious or simulated output from the drought monitor.  At the end of the activity, a working meeting was held to evaluate the results of the simulation exercise.

About the Andean Countries project: Drought and Floods

The project "Strengthening national and regional drought and flood risk monitoring and management systems in a context of climate change and desertification in the Andean countries" aims to reduce the social and economic impacts associated with floods and droughts through capacity building and the articulation of regional, national and local institutions involved in drought and flood risk management in the countries of western South America.

The project is implemented by the International Centre for El Niño Research (CIIFEN), the Spanish State Meteorological Agency, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the Chilean Meteorological Directorate (DMC) in the framework of the Euroclima+ programme.

About EUROCLIMA+

EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German federal government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain. It aims to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean by promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation, resilience and investment.

The Programme is implemented under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Contacts

For more information about EUROCLIMA+, contact Alexandra Cortés: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

For more information about Disaster risk reduction and management: droughts and floods, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.