Guatemala, through its Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), presented its progress in anticipatory actions and preventive management of climate risk this week at an international meeting held in Havana, Cuba.
The event brought together technical delegations from Latin America and the Caribbean to exchange experiences and lessons learned on risk management. According to Rafael López, director of Geographic, Strategic Information and Risk Management at MAGA and the ministry's representative at the event, "Guatemala is a regional reference for having an updated Institutional Response Plan (PIR), a key tool that organizes and optimizes risk management from the agricultural sector."
López highlighted achievements in preventive response, particularly the creation of early agricultural alerts. These alerts help producers make informed decisions amid climate variability. He also noted advances in technological innovation and strategic information production, as well as their integration with Guatemala’s National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) system.
The meeting was convened by the World Food Programme (WFP) and included WFP specialists from Cuba, Peru, and Guatemala. Cuban producers participated along with a representative from Cuba’s Civil Defense, FAO Cuba, and two international experts from WFP who joined virtually.
Cuba was selected as host due to the recent impact of Hurricane Melissa on the island. The hurricane highlighted the need to strengthen preparation and mitigation capacities. This context turned the gathering into a platform for sharing emergency management lessons and implementing anticipatory systems.
Guatemala emphasized the importance of cooperation among MAGA, WFP, and FAO. "This joint work has made it possible to generate new information and geospatial analysis, which are fundamental to strengthening resilience in the agricultural sector, protecting producers, and ensuring food availability in response to climate change challenges," according to MAGA.
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