ReliefWeb

Appropriate natural resources management can mitigate impact of extreme weather related events

Context

Central America is the second most vulnerable region in the world for cl risks. Due to the high vulnerability of the smallholders, subsistence farmers, daily laborers (agricultural and non-agricultural), vulnerable households depending from instable livelihoods and the environment, the region has to consider risk reduction as a priority; it needs to be thoroughly mainstreamed in development efforts and budget planning.

Although Central American countries are in the middle income group, the region presents disparity in terms of wealth distribution. More than 70 percent of the rural population lives below the poverty level. There is a high prevalence of chronic undernutrition, which reaches up to 57 percent in Guatemala, often with a higher prevalence at the sub-national level.

Prevalence of chronic undernutrition among children under 5 is significantly worse in rural and indigenous areas where rates are often more than double those in urban areas.
Chronic undernutrition is also very high in these areas.

Between 10 - 20 October 2011, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua were under the destructive influence of Tropical Depression 12E (TD 12E) and the ensuing atmospheric instability led to several days of extremely intensive rainfall, causing great damage to productive sectors in these countries. Initial estimates from the four governments indicate that overall up to 800,000 people have been affected by TD 12E and at least 90 deaths were reported. From this population, more than 30,000 persons were still living in temporary shelters at the beginning of November.

Between 200 and 300 thousand farming families are seeing their harvest decreased by 30 to up to 100 percent after their crops were flooded or washed away and the soil was completely saturated by water during several weeks. The total value for the subsistence production losses has been initially estimated at least US$ 300 to 400 million for the region in terms of staple crops.

Beyond these numbers and statistics, decision makers have to keep in mind the individual family catastrophe for those who have lost their main livelihoods in just a few days.

Households whose main livelihoods are subsistence farming and have lost part or all of their crops will not be able to recuperate their basic productive capacity until the next harvest. While immediate assistance has been quickly organized to shelter displaced families, bring food assistance and health services, a serious concern remains for the rehabilitation of basic livelihoods for thousands of subsistence farmer households and vulnerable rural households that in general depend on instable livelihoods will be facing a prolonged hunger gap period until August/September 2012.