Annik Tiedt, CBi Secretariat
Imagine you are in an emergency response meeting when the power cuts out. WiFi dies. Communications break down. Your carefully planned coordination system is suddenly under pressure, and teams scramble to adapt with incomplete information.
This was not a scenario but what actually happened during Ecuador's Earthquake Response Exercise (ERE) in December 2024. As part of the organizing team, I was in Quito facilitating the participation of Ecuador's Chamber of Industries and Production (CIP), a CBi Member Network. This marked the first time ever that a private sector organization joined an international UN-led disaster simulation – and what an impressive debut it was.
International Earthquake Response – the Actors
Twelve countries sent their emergency teams to this exercise: the United States, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Honduras, and others. They communicated with Ecuadorian authorities exactly as they would during a real disaster – through emails, emergency management systems, and field communications that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.
Ecuador designed this simulation based on hard-earned experience. The country's devastating 7.8 earthquake in 2016 caused widespread destruction and revealed critical gaps in coordination between government agencies and non-traditional partners like businesses. Since then, Ecuador has revisited its emergency protocols under the National Emergency Operations Committee (COE), and this exercise was their first formal test. And where better to test what works and what doesn't than a simulation?
On the first day, as María José Hernández, CIP's Director for Sustainability and Development, and I rode to the exercise site, she pointed to blackened hillsides outside Quito. "The worst forest fire in 30 years swept through here in September," she explained. "We lost over 140 hectares. Today we're preparing for earthquakes, but disasters here come in many forms."
When the simulated earthquake alarm triggered, everyone shifted to gaining situational awareness—the critical first step in any emergency response. CIP immediately took their designated seat at the ministry's Technical Table 6, where the private sector has formal representation. When the Humanitarian Country Team needed critical information, CIP delivered a comprehensive assessment of the earthquake's economic impact, mapping which businesses were operational, what resources they could provide, and where supply chains were broken.
"Business do not just write checks," María José explained. "We mobilize our logistics networks, our facilities, our expertise—everything that makes our businesses run can help communities recover faster."
Within hours, CIP had concrete offers: warehouse space for relief supplies, transportation fleets for evacuations, and telecommunications equipment to restore communications. When international search-and-rescue teams ran out of body bags, CIP quickly connected them with a member company that could provide 5,000 units.
CIP sat at the simulated emergency committee table – alongside UNICEF, WEF, the National Disaster Management Office, Secretaría Nacional de Gestión de Riesgos (SNGR), and local NGOs – to coordinate aid deliveries. But coordination was not always smooth. Information flow was often disrupted, requiring people to move between teams as liaisons to fill information gaps. For example, during one emergency meeting, everyone discussed the lack of computers while another team had already resolved this issue earlier. This situation highlighted the importance of coordination and ensuring the right information reaches the right people to avoid duplicating work.
The Business Case for Disaster Engagement
For private sector leaders wondering why this matters to them, consider critical infrastructure failing. Companies with robust emergency plans and pre-established partnerships recover faster and can help their communities do the same. CIP's ERE participation was about understanding how national and international emergency systems work, so they can prepare and mobilize their member companies more effectively during crises.
The exercise was a powerful reminder that CBi Member Networks bring unique assets to disaster response: established supply chains, logistics expertise, communication networks, and the ability to mobilize resources quickly. But they also benefit from participation by gaining insider knowledge of emergency protocols and building relationships with key decision-makers in the National Disaster Management Office.
The Road Ahead
Ecuador's 2024 exercise marked a turning point in international disaster preparedness by reinforcing that private sector inclusion is not optional but essential for effective response coordination. CIP successfully mapped member company resources, established communication channels, and mobilized concrete supplies that emergency operations needed. They worked with NGO partners like the Red Cross and participated in the meetings of the Humanitarian Country team.
"The exercise was very insightful," María José reflected. "It improved our understanding of national response mechanisms and coordination between national and international emergency teams."
When the next disaster strikes Ecuador, the partnerships built during this exercise will face their ultimate test. Ecuador's National Secretariat for Risk Management is currently revising their national emergency response protocol to include lessons from the exercise, with CIP involved in the process. Based on what I witnessed in Quito, both business and humanitarian communities have reason for optimism.
Thank you to Ecuador's National Secretariat for Risk Management, OCHA's Emergency Response Section, UNDP, and our INSARAG colleagues for excellent organization and continuous support throughout the event.
The Connecting Business Initiative (CBi) strengthens private sector engagement in disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, response, and recovery through member networks worldwide. The Cámara de Industrias y Producción is CBi's member network in Ecuador.