The combination of high vulnerability of the population and the multiple threats faced by the geographic areas covered by the project, puts these communities at high risk when a natural disaster occurs.

This is aggravated by the lack of efficient communication and coordination systems between the communities and authorities, the municipalities and responsible institutions, CONRED’s limited programs and plans to prepare and respond to disasters, and the lack of knowledge of the people in the communities on how to react in case of a disaster. 

For this reason, the project seeks to strengthen people’s disaster-response skills in a comprehensive manner, working with all the institutions involved: The national and local authorities of CONRED and COLRED, municipal authorities and their main agencies (DMP, WMO, ONAJ, and UGAM), public institutions including MINEDUC, MARN, SESAN, MSPAS, MAGA, INSIVUMEH, CONRED, MIDES, among others; and local partners such as TECHO, schools and communities.

Since November 2020, CARE has been implementing Phase I of the “Disaster-Prepared Communities in Vulnerable Rural Areas of Guatemala” project, in 60 communities from 6 municipalities in departments of Huehuetenango, Quiché and Baja Verapaz, contributing to improved knowledge, coordination, capacity and practices of rural communities and local governments in disaster preparedness and risk reduction with a gender approach, in rural areas prone to multiple natural disasters (earthquakes, drought and forest fires), directly reaching 22,915 people (12,094 women and 10,891 men) and indirectly 154,109 persons (73,036 men and 81,073 women).