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Building disaster preparedness and response capacity of Costa Rican press

Year when project approved: 
2014
Approved budget: 
US$13 000.00

Natural disasters are common occurrences in Costa Rica, with minor earthquakes taking place daily and strong tremors happening several times a year. According to national statistics, the 49 events that occurred between 1980 and 2010 killed 312 people, affected another 1 647 964 and produced damages amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. Such events are major national news items. However, local media in disaster areas are unable to fully inform either the affected population or the national media. A blueprint for emergency response, the Manual for journalists on ethical coverage of emergencies and disasters, has been created but is yet to be complimented by location-specific information and to reach broader media audiences, especially in the provinces. This project will therefore train local media to provide clear information reflecting specific priorities during major disasters, using the Manual as a basis. 

Documents
Full project description: 
CostaRica_project_proposal.pdf
Full implementation report: 
CostaRica_implementation_report.pdf
Project details
IPDC Bureau meeting nº: 
58

Implementation status :

Project evaluated:

Project scope:

IPDC Priority:

Budget
Budget code: 
354GLO5002 FEM

Source of funds:

Beneficiary
Beneficiary name: 
National Syndicate of Journalists of Costa Rica
Beneficiary description: 

SINDICATO NACIONAL DE PERIODISTAS was created in 1972. It has 250 active members, all professional journalists. It is an official member of International Federation of Journalist (IFJ) and Federation of Journalists of Latin America and Caribbean, associated with the Colegio de Periodista that worked with UNESCO, San José on several seminars and journalist training. The Sindicato contributed to the International Press Freedom Day held in Costa Rica in May 2013. SINDICATO NACIONAL DE PERIODISTAS brings financial sustainability to Colegio de Periodistas, which is the biggest organization of journalist professionals in Central America, agglomerating 3,000 members.

Beneficiary country:

Beneficiary type:

Location and contacts
UNESCO

UNESCO Field Office:

Project contacts: 

Juan Jose Arce Vargas, National Syndicate of Journalists of Costa Rica

Project place: 
San Jose, Costa Rica

Project region:

Follow-up and achievments
Summary of the project implementation: 

The project was carried out as originally envisaged but with a change of order: first organizing a seminar with experts and specialists, then creating (with their input) the guidebook on disaster preparedness. The National Syndicate of Journalists (Sindicato Nacional de Periodistas SNP) organized the seminar on 30 and 31 January 2015 with the title Ethic Responsibility of the communicator in an integral approach to disasters. 56 participants were inscribed what shows the great interest among media workers. Invited speakers were the National Commission of risks and emergencies, the National Meteorological Institute, City of San José, the Seismological Network of University Costa Rica. The Syndicate prepared a very informative documentation of this seminar. The Guidebook on disaster preparedness covers the role of journalists before a disaster, management of adequate information, security of journalists, classification of disasters. The content production of the guidebook was delayed and the contract could not be extended in time. At the end, UNESCO could not pay for printing the guidebook or organizing a press meeting to present and distribute the guidebook.