The Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), in partnership with Mexico’s
National Centre for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED), organised the virtual seminar
“Earthquake prevention, early warning and response: a perspective from Mexican civil
protection,” designed as a forum for technical exchange and regional cooperation in the
field of comprehensive disaster risk management.

The meeting brought together authorities, specialists and civil servants from SELA’s
Member States, who learnt about the history and innovations of Mexico’s approach to
prevention, early warning, damage assessment and rehabilitation in the event of
earthquakes. During the event, key topics were addressed, such as seismic hazard,
secondary effects, structural vulnerability, reinforcement and operational response,
including lessons learnt from the earthquakes of September 2017.

At the opening ceremony, Mr Enrique Guevara, Director-General of CENAPRED,
expressed his gratitude to SELA for the invitation and emphasised the importance of
creating opportunities to share knowledge and experiences. He also acknowledged the
work of the SELA team in organising the seminar and recalled that “disasters are not
natural,” emphasising the importance of understanding risk and strengthening societies’
capacities to prevent, prepare for and respond to natural phenomena.

For his part, Mr Gustavo Herrera, SELA’s Social Development Coordinator, pointed out
that “natural phenomena know no borders” and emphasised that “prevention cannot be
improvised in an emergency; it must be built up in advance within institutions, in urban
planning, in classrooms, in homes and, fundamentally, in civic culture.” He also highlighted
that, although the seminar focused on Mexico’s experience, the knowledge and best
practices shared could serve as a reference for other countries in the region, considering
the specific characteristics, capacities and needs of each.

This initiative reaffirms SELA’s commitment to regional cooperation and capacity-building
in the field of Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management. As part of these ongoing efforts,
SELA will host the First Regional Conference on Earthquakes and Resilient Communities
in Caracas on 2 and 3 February 2027, with a view to further deepening regional dialogue
and cooperation in this area.