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| National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) |
| Native name | Coordinadora Nacional para la Reducción de Desastres |
| Formation | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Guatemala City |
| Region served | Guatemala |
| Leader title | Coordinator |
| Parent organization | Presidency of Guatemala |
National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) is the Guatemalan agency responsible for coordinating civil protection and disaster relief activities across Guatemala City, departments such as Quetzaltenango Department and Escuintla Department, and at national level. Established after the 1992 Guatemala earthquake and other hazards including eruptions of Volcán de Fuego and floods from the Motagua River, CONRED integrates actors from the Presidency of Guatemala, Guatemalan Army, Ministry of Health (Guatemala), and international bodies like the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to manage emergency operations.
CONRED was created in the aftermath of catastrophic events such as the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season impacts on Hurricane Mitch, the Volcán de Fuego eruption (2018) effects on Escuintla Department, and the prolonged humanitarian crises that followed the Guatemala City earthquake. Founding instruments drew on models from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (Jamaica), the Federal Emergency Management Agency approach after Hurricane Katrina, and regional mechanisms like the Central American Integration System. Early leadership engaged figures from the Presidency of Guatemala and experts associated with United Nations Development Programme missions, prompting institutional reforms influenced by protocols from the Inter-American Development Bank and the Pan American Health Organization.
CONRED's mandate is established under Guatemalan statutes and decrees promulgated by the Congress of Guatemala and ratified within executive instruments of the Presidency of Guatemala. Legal texts reference obligations to coordinate with entities including the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (Guatemala), the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (Guatemala), and municipal councils such as the Municipality of Guatemala City. International obligations cite treaties and agreements with bodies like the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and regional accords brokered through the Central American Integration System.
CONRED's structure links a national secretariat with departmental and municipal commissions mirroring models used by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Red Cross networks. Key components coordinate with the Guatemalan Army, the National Civil Police (Guatemala), and health authorities including the Ministry of Health (Guatemala). Advisory councils include specialists from academic institutions such as the University of San Carlos of Guatemala and international partners like the European Union and the World Food Programme. Leadership appointments are processed through the Presidency of Guatemala and oversight interacts with the Congress of Guatemala.
CONRED administers programs spanning early warning systems linked to the Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología sensors, shelter management coordinated with municipal administrations, and logistics chains involving the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (Guatemala). Programs align with standards set by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, humanitarian guidelines from the Sphere Project, and resilience frameworks promoted by the World Bank. CONRED-run initiatives often partner with NGOs such as Médicos Sin Fronteras and humanitarian agencies like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees during displacement events.
In operational crises—earthquakes, volcanic eruptions like those of Volcán de Pacaya and Volcán de Fuego, tropical storms tied to the Pacific hurricane basin or the Atlantic hurricane basin—CONRED activates national emergency plans coordinating response units from the Guatemalan Army, the National Civil Police (Guatemala), and international search-and-rescue teams organized through the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group. Response activities include mass sheltering in facilities managed by municipal governments, medical surge supported by the Ministry of Health (Guatemala) and the Pan American Health Organization, and logistics for food assistance in coordination with the World Food Programme and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (Guatemala).
Risk reduction projects emphasize hazard mapping using data from the Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología and community-based preparedness programs inspired by the Community Emergency Response Team model and implemented with partners such as the United Nations Development Programme and the Inter-American Development Bank. Initiatives include school safety campaigns aligned with the Safe Schools agenda, retrofitting projects financed via collaboration with the World Bank and the European Union, and training courses delivered with universities like the University of San Carlos of Guatemala and technical agencies including the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (Guatemala).
CONRED engages bilateral and multilateral partners including the United States Agency for International Development, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, and regional bodies such as the Central American Integration System and the Organization of American States. Partnerships extend to specialized agencies like the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, and civil society networks including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Médicos Sin Fronteras. These collaborations support resource mobilization during crises like Hurricane Mitch aftermaths, volcanic disasters including Volcán de Fuego eruption (2018), and long-term resilience programs funded by institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank.
Category:Emergency management organizations Category:Organizations based in Guatemala Category:Disaster risk reduction