World Dialogue on Regulation

Regional Disaster Information Centre - Latin America & the Caribbean (CRID)
http://www.crid.or.cr/crid/ing/index_ing.html

Starting a search from the CRID country information profiles, a lot of information is available providing country profiles, which basically describes and analyses the impact of disasters held in the past. These websites provide maps, risk assesments tools and educational materials regarding preparedness for future events. All mentioned a work in progress to set up a national plan(s) and alert networks. Unfortunately, according to the on-line information available, none of those initiatives are operational on a continous basis, but appear everytime a disaster occurs. The observatories and monitoring services operate on continous basis. In very particular cases, national networks are in place in order to stablish an early alert announcement. Unfortunately, this is not the common scenario. It is one of the functions of the president´s office to launch the alert and implement any measures required to deal with the consequences of a disaster.

SINAPROC Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil (Mexico)
http://www.sinaproc.ob.mx
Spanish only.

Review: SINAPROC is the national service of civil protection. They are under the umbrella of the Civil Protection General Office. They establish agreements with various institutions which cooperate to carry on and implement the National Plan of Emergency Communications. This plan includes several actions regarding the use of radio and television, and very recently, the use of electronic communications which counts with the cooperation of the E-Mexico Program and under the control of the RTC - Dirección General de Radio, Televisión y Cinematografía. The full text of the plan is not available on-line at the Orden Juridico website, but there are plenty of references to it at the websites of the institutions just mentioned. One of the most interesting experiences Mexico has, is the volcanic monitoring offered by the national center in disasters prevention, CENAPRED. This center is in charge to offer the appropriate technical support to SINAPROC and their efforts are concentrated into the scientific monitoring of the Popocatépetl Volcano, providing early warning communications through radio, television and basic information to be published on the Internet. They also provide professional and technical training in this area.

General law of civil protection available at http://www.proteccioncivil.gob.mx/upLoad/Publicaciones/Ley_General.pdf

INETER Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales http://www.ineter.gob.ni/

This institute is in charge of operate 11 different networks (weather, hearthquakes, volcanos, etc.)which provide scientific information used to initiate alerts ans understand the current situation of a possible disaster. Allthe prevention, mitigation and attention actions are conducted by SINAPRED, which is the National System for Prevention, Mitigation and Attention of Disasters. This system was created in 2000 after hurricane Mitch. The system is composed by a set of procedures which will take place when a disaster occurs. Its supported by a coalition of governmental organizations and an emergency fund. They transmit a weekly radio program in Radio Nicaragua, the official radio station in the country which runs national prevention and preparedness campaigns. INETER is in charge to advice the President´s office about the possible launch of alerts regarding a particular phenomenon, but SINAPRED can´t decide on its own which measures should be taken or dispose funding to any other activity different from the scientific tasks.

General info about SINAPRED http://www.sinapred.gob.ni/Sistema/Brochure.html