Community workshops

Community participation was a pillar of the project because it is critical to effective and sustainable preparedness and resilience of a community. Within the scope of the project, three (3) workshops were held as well as two (2) webinars.

1. Workshop: “Fortalecimiento de capacidades sobre amenazas costeras en la Reserva de Biosfera Savegre”

Date: 25 November 2021

Location: Hotel Kamuk, Quepos, Costa Rica

Number of participants: 27 participants
- 59% male and 41% female
- From 20 different organizations and institutions

Summary: The workshop brought together key local stakeholders with the aim to strengthen knowledge and capacities related to coastal hazards that affect the coastal communities of the Savegre Biosphere Reserve. The agenda included presentations on each of the three hazards affecting the Savegre Biosphere Reserve (tsunamis, storm surges, and inundation from heavy rainfall), information about Biosphere Reserves and the specific context of the Savegre Biosphere Reserve, and a report on the structure of Emergency Management in Costa Rica. The presentations were delivered by scientific experts, a representative from the Board of the Savegre Biosphere Reserve, and a representative from the Comision Nacional de Emergencia (CNE). This workshop provided knowledge relevant and necessary to subsequent preparedness activities of the TSU/MAB Joint Initiative.

Additional information about this workshop can be found on the event page (here).

2. Webinar: “Conocer y convivir con la naturaleza: donde se unen la tierra y el mar”

Date: 11 February 2022

Location: Online

Number of participants: 25 participants
- 8% male and 92% female

Summary: This webinar was held in celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and organized in coordination with the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications of Costa Rica (MICITT). The target audience of the webinar was girls between 9 and 12 years old nationwide, with a particular focus on girls living within the Savegre Biosphere Reserve. The (then) Vice-President of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell, provided opening words to the webinar. The content of the meeting focused on the contributions of Ing. Andrea Herrera Chaves (ASANA) and Dr.rer.nat. Silvia Chacón (SINAMOT) within the scope of the TSU/MAB Joint Initiative.

3. Webinar: “Preparación ante amenazas costeras en la Reserva de la biosfera Savegre”

Date: 17 March 2022

Location: Online

Number of participants: 39 participants
- 53% male and 47% female
- From over 25 organizations
- 62 viewers of the webinar on UNESCO San Jose Facebook livestream; so total of 101 participants in the webinar

Summary: The purpose of this webinar was to strengthen capacities and knowledge relating to coastal hazards for key local stakeholders that were not able to participate in the above workshop “Fortalecimiento de capacidades sobre amenazas costeras en la Reserva de Biosfera Savegre”. The webinar also strove to provide a platform for the community to engage in and interact with project experts and its leading organizations, proving a space for questions and discussion. The webinar provided knowledge relevant and necessary to subsequent preparedness activities of the TSU/MAB Joint Initiative.

Additional information about this workshop can be found on the event page (here).

4. Workshop: “Creación de mapas de evacuación ante peligros costeros para Quepos y Manuel Antonio”

Dates: 24-25 March 2022

Location: Meeting room, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Number of participants (Day 1): 33 participants
- 73% male and 26% female

Number of participants (Day 2): 26 participants
- 65% male and 35% female

Summary: The workshop was held with the aim of preparing and finalizing tsunami evacuation maps, based on the coastal hazard inundation maps and community knowledge through participatory approaches. Participants had the opportunity to study a first draft of evacuation maps (prepared by SINAMOT), and to contribute their knowledge to identify best evacuation routes, assembly points, safe zones, and signage location. The unique approach of this workshop and these evacuation maps was to consider risks associated with storm surges and inundation from heavy rain coastal hazards in the elaboration of tsunami evacuation maps, to better prepare for the case of a multi-hazard event. 

Additional information about this workshop can be found on the event page (here).

5. Workshop: Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Quepos, Manuel Antonio, and Parque Nacional de Manuel Antonio

Date: 28 April 2022

Location:
- Session 1: House of Culture of Quepos
- Session 2: Meeting room, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Number of participants:
- Session 1: CME (about 25 participants)
- Session 2: Manuel Antonio National Park rangers and managers

Summary: The workshop was organized by the CME and the Manuel Antonio National Park Administration to present updated Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) relevant to coastal hazards in the Savegre Biosphere Reserve. Participants included officials and community leaders involved in emergency response, environmental management, urban planning and tourism. Session 1 of the workshop was held for ERPs and SOPs relevant to Quepos, with much of the discussion surrounding the review of the tree call for the tsunami response plans. During Session 2, a systematic review of the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio ERP was conducted, with a discussion about holding a simulation exercise in addition to the planned drill exercise in May 2022. The ERPs and SOPs that were updated or created as part the review and workshop process were the following:
- Plan de Emergencia de Quepos
- Plan de Respuesta de emergencia para tsunamis en la comunidad de Quepos
- Plan de preparativos y respuesta ante emergencias por tsunamis de la comunidad de Manuel Antonio
- Plan de Accion Climatica de Quepos
- Plan de Emergencia PNMA