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USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS
TO IMPROVE DISASTER
PREPAREDNESS, EARLY WARNING
AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI
Public Disclosure Authorized
Public Disclosure Authorized
Public Disclosure Authorized
Public Disclosure Authorized
CONTENTS
1 Introduction 6
2 Methodology and description of data 9
3 Background and Context 13
4 Disaster Risk Management in Haiti 20
4.1 Operating model 20
4.2 Roles and key actors 22
4.3 Preparedness process 22
4.4 Communication channels 23
4.5 Evacuation process 23
5 Key Insights on Barriers to Evacuation 25
5.1 Obstacle 1: EWS Messages Do Not Arrive 25
5.2 Obstacle 2: People Do Not Understand EWS Messages 27
5.3 Obstacle 3: People Struggle to Internalize Risk 29
5.4 Obstacle 4: People Lack Access to Resources
and Shelters to Evacuate 30
5.5 Obstacle 5: People Prefer Not to Evacuate 30
6 Ideas to Nudge People to Evacuate to A Safe Place on Time 34
7 Conclusion 39
Bibliography 41
Appendix 1 – Field Study Methodology and Diagnostic Activities 43
Appendix 2 – Hurricane classification 45
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
T
his report was prepared by a World Bank team composed of Jime-
na Llopis (Behavioral Scientist, Poverty & Equity GP), Emilie Perge
(Economist, Poverty & Equity GP), Zeina Afif (Senior Social Scientist,
Poverty & Equity GP), Claudia Soto Orozco (Disaster Risk Management Spe-
cialist, Social, Urban Rural and Resilience GP), Lace Padilla (Consultant, Pov-
erty & Equity GP), Jessica Hsu (Consultant, Poverty & Equity GP) with inputs
from Cecile Lorillou (Consultant, Social, Urban Rural and Resilience GP); Ali
Alwahti (Consultant, Social, Urban Rural and Resilience GP), Roland Brad-
shaw (Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Social, Urban Rural and
Resilience GP), and Giovanni Michele Toglia (Consultant, Social, Urban Rural
and Resilience GP) with overall guidance from Oscar Calvo-Gonzalez (Prac-
tice Manager, Poverty & Equity GP), Raju Singh (Program Leader, LCC8C),
and Pierre-Xavier Bonneau (Program Leader, LCC8C). The team would like
to thank Oscar Anil Ishizawa (Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist,
Social, Urban Rural and Resilience GP) for his comments on an earlier draft.
The present research, including qualitative data collection was fi-
nanced by the EU-funded ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program,
managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. This
report has benefited from discussion with government officials, develop-
ment partners and members of the community, including representatives
from The Civil Protection Directorate (DPC) within the Ministry of Interior
and Local Authorities (MICT), the Ministry of Education (MNEFP), the munic-
ipalities of Paillant and les Cayes; the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitairian
Affairs (OCHA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The qualitative data collection was performed by the team with assis-
tance from Jessica Hsu, Donald Antoine, James-son Vamblain, Manouchka
Justin, and Reginald Milfort. The team would like to thank key informants
and participants in the focus-group discussions and semi-structured inter-
views in Les Cayes and Paillant in the South Department. The opinions, in-
terpretations, and conclusions expressed herein do not reflect the views of
the World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the Governments they
represent.
Photo: UPC-DPC
Given the high exposure in Haiti to natural hazards,
ensuring that proper disaster preparedness and re-
sponse mechanisms are well established and managed
can save lives. Systems such as Municipal Civil Protec -
tion Committees (Comités Communaux de Protection Ci-
vile – CCPCs) have played an important role in reducing
casualties from natural disasters in recent years. Howev-
er, structural and behavioral barriers have limited desired
evacuation behaviors in Haiti. This report leverages behav-
ioral science to identify key entry points to improve early
warning systems (EWS) and enable people to evacuate to
safe locations before adverse natural events, including
hurricanes. The behavioral approach allows for the detec-
tion of barriers related to psychological and social factors
that go beyond access and cost.
The objective of this report is to understand, through a behavioral
approach, the structural and behavioral barriers that limit evacuation
decisions in Haiti. Our goal is to identify key entry points to improve EWS
and enable people to evacuate to safe locations in anticipation of a hur-
ricane. This type of approach is based on the understanding that people
think automatically, socially, and with mental models (World Bank, 2015).
The framing of a problem, the context in which decision making takes place,
and details of the design of an intervention play such an essential role in
determining behavior that not accounting for them can result in an ineffec-
tive intervention. Thus, looking for both structural and behavioral barriers
means to examine a wider set of influences and pay attention to the social,
psychological, as well as economic factors that affect what people think
and do.
1
Introduction
7
Informed through desk research and primary qualitative data (inter-
views and focus groups), this report maps the decisions and actions that
influence individuals in Haiti and identifies the barriers impeding people
from following EWS and seeking safe shelters. They are:
1. Warning dissemination and communication: EWS messages
do not always reach the population due to limited resources and
funding. When messages reach the population, people often do
not understand them given that the language is unclear and lacks
information about the desired behavior. Furthermore, people may
distrust the messenger.
2. Preparedness and response capacity: Messengers may lack ap -
propriate training to make people evacuate and contingency plans
may not be available or up-to-date. Moreover, people lack prepara-
tion experiences. The population lacks access to resources needed
to evacuate and has difficulty accessing shelters. Often the experi-
ences of emergency evacuation shelters are dissatisfactory. Some
perceive shelters as unsafe as structures do not always abide by
building codes/norms, resulting in not everyone preferring to evac-
uate to a shelter.
3. Risk knowledge and internalization: People struggle to internal-
ize the level of risk. They either underestimate the risk level due to
state of denial or fatalistic belief or they experience myopia, pre-
ferring to stay with their possessions (short-term gains) instead of
evacuating to a shelter (long-term gains).
In a complex context such as Haiti, potential solutions range from
simplifying communication messages and channels, training messengers
to deliver concise and persuasive messages, designing clear messages to
counter fatalistic beliefs, and using loss aversion framing to nudge people
to internalize risk and evacuate. To keep shelters preserved and promote
codes of conduct, a community recognized figure could be set up as a shel-
ter manager.
The following document is organized as follows. Section two describes
the methodology while section three outlines background and context. Sec-
tion four describes the functioning of Haiti’s disaster risk management sys-
tem. A fifth section explains barriers to safe evacuation. Section sixth pro-
vides key ideas for the design of the intervention(s). Finally, section seven
provides concluding thoughts. Detailed information on hurricane classifi-
cation and diagnostic activities conducted can be found in the appendices.
1. Introduction
Photo: UPC-DPC
2
Methodology and
description of data
The evidence in this diagnostic is based on qualitative
research: desk review, key-informant interviews, and
qualitative fieldwork. The diagnostic started with an ex -
tensive desk review of existing reports and research papers
on (i) EWS in the Haitian context, (ii) empirical research
on evacuation behavior, and (iii) case studies in develop-
ing countries. The reports helped inform the background
section as well as our in-depth understanding of how the
current disaster risk management system works in Haiti.
Through a meta-analysis comprising various research pa-
pers (Huang, Michael K., & Prater, 2016), we learned that,
throughout the world, people are more likely to evacuate
when they have an accurate understanding of the severity
of a storm. Severity has numerous facets including inten-
sity, damage, landfall, and rapid onset. Moreover, people
use rules of thumb to help them determine their person-
al risk, including if their neighbors are evacuating and if
businesses in their community are closing. Some studies
found that women with children are more likely to evac-
uate. Several case studies of evacuation experiences in
Marikina, Philippines, Mumbai, India, Uganda, and rural
Indonesia show that risk perception about the likelihood
and severity of a hazard is one of the key factors that pre-
dicts risk preparedness. To complement past research
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 10
findings and to better understand the complex nature of
the issues surrounding disaster preparedness, EWS and
response mechanisms in Haiti, the team interviewed key
informants such as the Civil Protection Directorate (Direc -
tion de la Protection Civil – DPC), national counterparts
working with the DPC, international partners working on
disaster risk management (DRM) in Haiti (UNDP, USAID,
OCHA), and NGOs. A total of nine interviews were conduct-
ed, all in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding vicinity.
Qualitative fieldwork was later conducted to capture individual
experience, choices, perceptions, and attitudes towards evacuation in
Haiti. Fieldwork aimed at understanding barriers to EWS and what limits
people’s ability to evacuate to safe locations during a hurricane. The meth-
ods chosen for this study were six Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and 16
Semi-Structured Interviews (SSIs) with a purposely selected range of ac-
tors from three categories: (i) CCPCs, (ii) community leaders, and (iii) the
general population. Community leaders included teachers, Red Cross staff/
volunteers, pastors, women’s group leaders, departmental delegates, and
beyond (see Appendix 1 for more details). The general population included
men and women that did and did not evacuate in the past. The diversity
of interviewees is essential in qualitative research to gather more detailed
information on behaviors and barriers to safe evacuation. Local consultants
transcribed audio recordings of FGDs and interviews in Creole. Data was
coded in Excel.
Sites and respondents were intentionally selected to answer our
research questions best. Site selection was done through a two-stage pro -
cess. We first looked at communal sections that were located within a risk
area and who had a relatively easy access to a shelter. The second stage
controlled for past performance (good or bad) and location (rural or urban).
The DRM World Bank (WB) team provided a list of five communal sections
that met our preferred criteria and logistical requirements. They helped se-
lect Paillant (pop. 16,000) and Les Cayes (pop. 86,780), municipalities lo-
cated in Nippes and Sud departments, respectively. Paillant was selected
as the rural site and positive deviant,
1
where the team visited the Centre
d’Etudes Classiques Theophile.
2
Les Cayes (in Sud) was selected as the ur-
ban site and the team visited Lycée P Guerrier shelter because its access to
1 Paillant is known as a good practice in terms of preparedness and CCPC performance.
A positive deviant is an approach to behavioral and social change based on the
observation that in any community there are people whose uncommon but successful
behaviors or strategies enable them to find better solutions to a problem than their
peers, despite facing similar challenges and having no extra resources or knowledge
than their peers (Wikipedia, 2018).
2 Initially the team planned to visit Ecole Note Dame de la Victoire shelter, but the school
was not accessible since it was in session during the visit.
11
schools allowed us to speak to teachers who commonly communicate EWS
to students.
Analyzing qualitative data provide in-depth details about expe-
riences, attitudes, and perceptions. Qualitative data analysis allows re -
searchers to uncover unexpected themes during analysis (Fusch and Ness
2015, Tracy 2010). Although qualitative data analysis does not prioritize the
quantity of statements over richness and detail, a rule of saturation point
was followed. According to this rule, the researcher will explore data until
no new themes can be identified (Fusch and Ness 2015). Also, the sample
is not and does not pretend to be representative of the whole population.
The objective was not to test causal links or to generalize findings, but to
capture views and experiences of people and the ways they express them.
The recruitment strategy followed best-practices and was success-
ful in recruiting desired profiles. Mobilization was conducted one week
in advance with the help of the Departmental Technical Coordinator from
the DPC and the Board of Directors of the Communal Section (Conseil d’Ad-
ministration de la Section Communale – CASEC). Once in the field, the team
further mobilized participants by going door to door distributing flyers, ac-
companied by a community member.
As is common in qualitative research, our study overcame some
challenges in its implementation. The initial dates for fieldwork were
pushed back due to country-wide protests from October 15 to October 22,
2018. Furthermore, in Paillant, the CASEC had misunderstood some of the
instructions, so many of the members of the CCPCs FGD on the first day
were also community leaders, such as pastors, teachers, or public health
representatives. Therefore, the team was unable to get their perspectives
from the other roles that they play in the community, but only as CCPCs vol-
unteers. The field team worked with the CASEC to recruit additional com-
munity leaders after the initial CCPCs FGD. In Les Cayes, the member des-
ignated to assist in mobilization only mobilized community leaders he was
close to and would not assist in the mobilization of the general population,
introducing a potential bias in the data. The field team made its best effort
to further mobilize the general population in a short-time frame to reduce
this bias.
2. Methodology and description of data
Photo: UPC-DPC
Haiti is highly exposed to natural hazards. Over 93 per -
cent of its surface and more than 96 percent of the pop-
ulation are exposed to two or more hazards, primarily
hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and landslides, but also
tsunami and drought (World Bank, 2018). Haiti is highly
subject to earthquakes, created by the interaction of the
Caribbean and North American tectonic plates. Other sec-
ondary hazards impacting Haiti include landslides, tor-
rential debris flows, soil liquefaction, and tsunamis. The
Grand-Sud, which includes the departments of Grand’Anse,
Nippes, and Sud are more vulnerable to hurricane risks,
and the Nord and Nord Ouest Departments are highly ex-
posed to the risks of floods and tsunami.
The human and economic impact of disasters has been extremely
severe, due to Haiti’s exposure to hazards, the high vulnerability of its
infrastructure, unplanned urban expansion, and institutional fragility.
Between 1961 and 2012, the country experienced more than 180 disasters
causing the death of more than 240,000 people (World Bank, 2018),
3
includ-
ing the death of about 220,000 people after the 2010 earthquake (World
Bank, 2015). Regarding economic impacts, the 2010 earthquake destroyed
the equivalent of 120 percent of GDP and Hurricane Matthew resulted in
estimated damages and losses equivalent of around 32 percent of GDP.
3 An event is considered a disaster by the EM-DAT database if (i) it caused at
least 10 deaths, (ii) affected at least 100 people, (iii) caused an emergency
declaration or (iv) led to a call for international assistance.
3
Background and
Context
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 14
Additionally, the potential future maximum losses that could be caused by
hurricanes and earthquakes occurring within a 250-year return period are
estimated at US$1.6 billion (13.3 percent of 2016 GDP) and US$2.41 billion
(27.5 percent of 2016 GDP), respectively
(World Bank, 2018).
Climate change will increase the frequency of, and impacts from,
extreme weather events. In 2017, the Maplecroft index ranked Haiti as
amongst the top three most vulnerable countries in the world to climate
change (Maplecroft, 2018). With forecasted increases in temperature from
1.2ºC to 2.3ºC by 2100, Haiti will likely experience a rise in the frequency
and intensity of hurricanes while more than doubling the length of the dry
season (World Bank, 2018). The increased frequency of hurricanes is already
evident in historical data (Figure 1).
FIGURE 1. HURRICANES IN HAITI (1950-2018)
Source : National Hurricane Center https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php
Additionally, Haiti has not been able to reduce the vulnerability of its in-
frastructure (public and private buildings) and residential buildings through
the application and enforcement of building regulations. Available data in-
dicates that built-up areas in Haiti are particularly vulnerable. Most Haitians
live in self-produced housing, built without the appropriate technical ex-
pertise, where 51 percent are exposed to flood events and 60 percent are
concentrated in high seismic hazard zones (World Bank, 2017). The vulnera-
bility of infrastructure was evidenced by the impact of Hurricane Matthew;
59 percent of the hurricane’s damages and losses were in infrastructure and
residential buildings and 31 percent were in the housing sector alone.
15
In addition, the frequency of natural disasters makes it harder for Haiti
to recover fully. In 2018, just two years after Hurricane Mathew, a 5.9 earth-
quake shook Haiti and killed 11 people (The New York Times, 2018).
Hurricane Mathew (2016) is considered the most recent devastat-
ing hurricane that has made landfall in Haiti. Hurricane Matthew made
landfall in Haiti’s western peninsula as a category 4 and caused a loss equal
to roughly 32 percent of GDP, about 600 deaths, and 2 million people af-
fected, particularly in the southern regions of Haiti (Government of Haiti;
United Nations; European Union; Inter-American Development Bank and
World Bank, 2017) (Map 1).
Although the death toll was high, deaths associ-
ated with Hurricane Matthew were significantly lower than 2004’s Hurricane
Jeanne (approximately 3,000 deaths) and 2008’s Hurricanes Fay, Gustav,
Hanna, and Ike (approximately 800 deaths) (World Bank , 2018). The most
affected provinces by Hurricane Matthew – Grand’Anse, Nippes, and Sud –
are home to nearly 1.6 million Haitians (14.5% of the country’s population,
estimated at 10.9 million in 2015).
MAP 1. SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND IMPACT OF HURRICANE MATHEW
1. Speed (mph), per commune 2. Estimation of infrastructure damage (USD) per
commune
Source: National Hurricane Center/University College London/
CNIGS Spatial Team, October 2016
Source: Haiti Rapid Post-Disaster Buildings Economic Loss
Assessment D-RAS, World Bank
A report by the Haiti Disaster Risk Management and Reconstruction
Project (DRMRP) links the reduction in loss of lives to the establishment of
CCPCs (World Bank , 2018). A CCPCs is a municipal level committee formed
of volunteers from the community who coordinate first emergency respons-
es, warn the population about a storm, and help people find shelters as part
of the EWS (Box 1).
3. Background and Context
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 16
BOX 1. MUNICIPAL CIVIL PROTECTION COMMITTEES (CCPCs )
Source: DPC
Municipal Civil Protection Committees (Comités Communaux de Protection Civile -
CCPCs) are responsible for evacuating populations at risk and have been instrumental
in saving lives. The role of CCPCs is crucial in the National Risk and Disaster Management
System (Système National de Gestion des Risques et des Désastres – SNGRD) as they are the
closest to the population and can go from door-to-door to explain EWS, communicate the
alert, and organize their community for evacuation when a disaster is about to happen.
CCPCs are composed of volunteers and have successfully engaged in Haiti’s most adverse
natural events, including FGHI (Hurricane Fay and Tropical Storms Gustav, Hannah and Ike)
in 2008, the January 2010 earthquake, Hurricane Tomas in 2010, and Hurricane Matthew in
2016. In rural areas with little access to traditional communication channels (phones, radios,
newspapers), volunteers can reach people that are isolated.
Structure of CCPCs
CCPCs are directed by the DPC, through the Departmental Civil Protection Committees
(Comités Départementaux de Protection Civile - CDPC). They work in all stages of the SNGRD:
preparedness, response, and recovery. There is one CCPC per municipality, totaling 140
CCPCs formed by 3, 100 volunteers serving the entire population of Haiti. CCPCs’ responsibil-
ities include disseminating early warnings, evacuating populations to shelters/safe havens,
conducting search and rescue, providing first aid in the aftermath of a disaster, and conduct-
ing preliminary human losses and material damage evaluations. Once a year, they receive
a set of standardized trainings from the DPC on how to perform their duties and cover the
following topics: internal management; emergency and response planning, including early
warning, evacuation and protection of people; emergency communication; shelter manage-
ment; and risk mapping. Beyond the yearly training, CCPCs are active in their municipality
all year long, as they organize simulation exercises, conduct information campaigns for the
community on preparedness-related aspects, and prepare and update the municipal’s con-
tingency plan in support to the municipality. Since CCPCs are dependent on volunteers, their
ability to operate is vulnerable to high volunteer turnover. CCPCs volunteers are not entitled
to benefits, insurance, or reimbursement for expenses.
17
Assessment of CCPCs
CCPC capacity has significantly improved since 2013 thanks to the standardized training pro-
vided by DPC, with support from various partners. CCPC capacity is evaluated by DPC and
each CCPCs is assigned a score from 1 to 4 (excellent to weak), depending on organizational
and functional factors combined in a performance index. The index includes factors related
to the institutions represented in the committee, number and nature of specialized training
received (internal management; emergency and response planning, including early warn-
ing, evacuation, and protection of people; emergency communication; shelter management;
and risk mapping); whether they have developed and maintained an emergency and contin-
gency plan; number of years the CCPC has been active; the level of implication of the mayor
in the committee; and the level of coordination with the Departmental DPC (Map 2).
MAP 2. CCPCS’ RANKING (1-4) IN 2016 AND 2018
Source: World Bank analysis based on data from the Disaster Risk Management and Reconstruction Project (P126346).
Note. CCPC of Category 1 are deemed “Excellent”, those of Category 2, 3 and 4 are evaluated as “Good”, “Average” and “Weak”
respectively.
While the decrease in death tolls from hurricanes is promising, Haiti
can still improve its resilience to shocks and reduce its exposure. Several
structural barriers inhibit the government, local population, and NGOs from
making progress on improving resilience to natural disasters. Buildings are
poorly constructed and building codes are sparsely enforced, making Hai-
ti’s building infrastructure vulnerable to hurricane force winds (World Bank,
2018). The EWS is weak and inconsistently implemented and, according
to the Thematic Committee Evacuation and Management of Emergency
Shelters (Comité Thématique Evacuation et Gestion des Abris Provisoires –
CTEGAP), the number of emergency evacuation shelters is insufficient to
meet the needs of Haiti’s population, particularly in rural areas.
3. Background and Context
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 18
A thorough study on shelter coverage for the population in areas
highly exposed to flood hazard in the Sud, Grande Anse, and Nippes
Departments (Grand Sud) revealed the need for the expansion and im-
provement of the shelter network. There are currently 314 emergency
shelters in the Grand Sud covering 1.6 million people, in particular 447,589
living in areas highly exposed floods (100-year return period). The multi-cri-
teria methodology developed by the DPC to assess shelter needs and prior-
itize interventions combines GIS data and field information that considers:
(i) flood risk
4
; (ii) accessibility (3 km radius or about a 45 minute walk); (iii)
number of people at risk with regards to existing shelter coverage; and (iv)
existing shelter building characteristics, such as size, land availability, and
level of destruction post-Matthew; among others. According to study on
shelter coverage already conducted by DPC for the Grand Sud, additional
shelter capacity is very high for all three departments.
Additionally, while structural vulnerability data is not systematically
available for shelters, experience from Hurricane Matthew and field evidence
collected preliminarily by the DPC and the National Center of Geo-spatial
Information (Centre National de l’information Géo-Spatiale – CNIGS) demon-
strated the poor structural and functional state of most shelters, which are
not built to withstand a 100-year return period event. At the same time, be-
haviors associated with disaster preparedness and evacuation can prevent
Haiti from improving its resilience to shocks (World Bank, 2019). As a result,
the DPC is working to strengthen and expand its emergency shelter network
with the support from the World Bank.
4 A 100-year return period flood event was used as it would be associated with floods
caused by a high category hurricane.
19
Photo: UPC-DPC
4.1 Operating model
Haiti has a complex structure to organize its National Disaster Risk
Management System. Within the Ministry of Interior and Local Authorities,
the DPC oversees the design and implementation of the National Disaster
Risk Management System (Système National de Gestion des Risques et des
Désastres – SNGRD) and coordinates the response actions to disasters and
risk management (Figure 2). The highest unit within the SNGRD is the Na-
tional Committee for Disaster Risk Management (Comité National de Gestion
des Risques et des Désastres – CNGRD), which brings together the highest
authorities of the state (including most ministries) and the civil society (Red
Cross). The CNGRD oversees the planification, organization and coordina-
tion of all actions aimed at the reduction of risks and the response to di-
sasters. The Permanent Secretariat is in charge of coordinating all techni-
cal actions that are to be implemented during a disaster by the Emergency
Operation Center (Centre d’opérations d’urgence – COU). The SNGRD has
thematic committees to establish plans to manage risks and disasters, a
consultative committee from civil society, and an international committee
composed of international and non-governmental organizations support-
ing DRM actions.
4
Disaster Risk
Management in Haiti
21
FIGURE 2. SNGRD ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN
Risk Reduction in Sectors
Sectorial Committes
Territorial level risk reduction
actions
Emergency Prepardness, Response
and Recovery
Emergency Prepardness, Response
and Recovery Committe
Emergency Operations Center
National (COUN), Department
(COUD), Municipal (COUC) and
local levels (COUL)
National Committee for Disaster
Risk Management (CNGRD)
Permanent Secretary for DRM
Comprised of all sectorial focal
points
Chaired by Prime Minister. It is
comprised by the all the ministers
and the Haitian Red Cross
President
Source: Adapted from the Ministère de L’Interieur et des Collectivités Territoriales, « Plan National de Gestion des Risques et des
Désastres 2019-2030 » page 43.
Volunteers within CCPCs select and propose to the local mayors
which buildings could be used as emergency evacuation shelters. The
CCPC negotiates the conditions of use for the structures and ensures that
these shelters meet the following criteria set by the DPC under its Shelter
Management Guide “Guide de Gestion des Abris d’Evacuation” (Secretariat
Permanent de Gestion des Risques et des Desastres, 2013).
1. Emergency evacuation shelters must not be in a flood zone,
2. They must be close to vulnerable people and basic social services,
including hospitals or health centers,
3. They must be accessible to people with disabilities, and
4. They must be secure.
Of the almost 1,500 emergency public shelters in the country identified
by the DPC (comprised of schools, municipal buildings, and other public
buildings, e.g., courts and city halls, community centers, as well as some
private buildings) more than 90 percent are schools. When emergency evac-
4. Disaster Risk Management in Haiti
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 22
uation shelters are multifunctional centers such as auditoriums, churches,
or gymnasiums, they must be able to stop their activity in time to be used
as an evacuation location.
5
4.2 Roles and key actors
When a climate event is about to happen, the EWS conveys informa-
tion through multiple steps and agents (Figure 3). When a hurricane is
approaching, forecasts are interpreted by experts at the Haiti Hydromete-
orological Unit (UHM). During an emergency, the Prime Minister activates
a state of emergency alert and the Office of the Secretary becomes a Na-
tional Emergency Operation Center (Centre d’Opérations d’Urgence Nation-
al – COUN). COUN notifies departmental delegates, who then activate the
Departmental Emergency Operation Center (Centre d’Opération d’Urgence
Départemental – COUD). The COUD notifies the mayors, who then activate
the Communal Emergency Operation Center (Centre d’Opération d’Urgence
Communal – COUC), where, in theory, mayors relay this information to
CCPC. Finally, the latter disseminates weather related information to the
population and evacuate populations to shelters as needed.
FIGURE 3. HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE EWS STRUCTURE IN HAITI
COUN
(activated by
Prime Minister)
COUC
(activated by
mayors)
COUD
(activated by
Dep. delegates)
CCPC
General
Population
4.3 Preparedness process
Simulation exercises occur at the departmental level but are insuffi-
cient to respond to the needs. Every year, one to three departments par -
ticipate in a simulation organized by the DPC. Participants spend two to
three days simulating the mechanisms that must be implemented during
a hurricane and the entire evacuation process, including evacuation man-
agement and operations. However, these simulations are insufficient given
Haiti’s exposure to natural hazards. There is also no standard debriefing
after the simulation. ‘Lessons learned’ are not always documented and im-
provements are not suggested for future simulations in a systematic way.
6
5 Basic facility minimum requirements include, a toilet for 50 people, a shower for 30
people, 2m per person (standing), 3m 5 per person (lying down), and sufficient water.
6 Key informant interviews, October 2018.
23
4.4 Communication channels
Various communication channels are used to disseminate emergency
messages to the general population:
789
CHANNEL PROCESS
Radio
EWS messages are broadcast in the national radio of Haiti, as well as in commercial and
community radios in both FM and AM.
SMS AGERCA
7
and CONATEL
8
send SMS to cellphones and through social media.
Announcements in
public spaces
Community leaders are encouraged to disseminate EWS messages in schools, churches,
and markets.
Megaphones
Volunteers drive around the community with megaphones or sirens and communicate
information about the storm.
Door-to-door visits
In high-risk areas
9
, volunteers visit people in their homes and tell them about the
approaching storm, instructing them evacuate quickly and prior to the hazard.
Flag system
In some remote areas where standard forms of communication are not possible, a flag
system has been designed to communicate storm warning. Flags of three colors (red,
yellow, and green) are raised to indicate the intensity of a storm. Locations that the flags
are placed include markets, mountains, and major intersections.
4.5 Evacuation process
Ideally, the evacuation process begins long before the storm, hurricane
or flood hits the communities. Communities and households are encour -
aged to have an evacuation plan so that families know what actions to
take, what to prepare, and where to go in case of an event. Once the EWS
information is received, people are encouraged to travel to a family shelter
(i.e. a more solid house of a friend, neighbor, family member, etc.). In case
households do not have a family shelter, they are asked to seek refuge in an
emergency evacuation shelter prior to the arrival of the hurricane. People
are supposed to stay in the evacuation location for no more than 72 hours
after the storm passes at which time they should return to their homes.
7 AGERCA is the institution that represents the private sector, and technically also civil
society in the secretariat that manages disasters in the country (SNGRD).
8 CONATEL is the state institution that is responsible for regulatory issues around
communication in the country.
9 There is not a precise definition of high-risk areas but are rather defined as areas
susceptible to at least one or more vulnerabilities.
4. Disaster Risk Management in Haiti
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 24
Photo: UNDP
Research has shown that many disaster-related fatalities
are preventable if people evacuate to a safer place in a
timely fashion. The main problem we are trying to ad-
dress in Haiti is that often people do not evacuate in
a timely manner when there is an approaching hurri-
cane. Five main obstacles and related barriers limit peo-
ple from early evacuation. We analyze behavioral and
structural barriers given that both can be tackled with a
behavioral approach. Findings in this section have also
been identified in behavioral science research looking at
risk perception (Milch, Broad, Meyer, & Robert, 2018) and
(Kunreuther & Meyer, 2017).
5.1 Obstacle 1: EWS Messages Do Not
Arrive
On paper, Haiti’s communication plan works. But, in practice, no reliable
and effective methods communicate information about an approaching
storm to the entire population. As one participant mentioned “…I did not
know Hurricane Matthew was coming….” (FGD Woman, Paillant). The team
found inefficiencies at each level of the communication pipeline, especially
for those in rural regions who are generally more vulnerable.
5
Key Insights on
Barriers to Evacuation
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 26
Barrier 1. Limited resources and funding at all levels
• The DPC has limited operational budget, which limits its ability to
fulfill roles such as training, comprehensively coordinating, com-
municating, accompanying, responding, and assisting in recovery.
• Volunteers have limited access to the necessary equipment or re-
sources to perform their role. Often, they borrow private vehicles or
pay out-of-pocket for transportation costs. Without regular access
to motorcycles, they cannot quickly and effectively access areas
with more challenging terrain.
• The population lacks functional devices used to circulate EWS alert
messages. Most people have access to their own or a peer’s phone
or radio, but it is not guaranteed that the network or the equipment
functions. Many do not have the funds to purchase batteries or
phone minutes and, as a volunteer explained, “We can do a lot with
phones, but frequently during a catastrophe the networks of Natcom
and Digicel stop working. If there was another way of communicat-
ing, perhaps by satellite phone, it would be very helpful” (FGD, CCPC,
Les Cayes).
Barrier 2. Lack of standardization on how EWS
information is transmitted
• High level communication does not always happen efficiently be-
tween sectoral ministries, affecting coordination on all levels.
• There may be confusion about which CCPC is responsible for which
areas. As a man explained: “Every time a hurricane may come, Civil
Protection passes on a motorcycle and just arrives at the intersection.
When they arrive at that last intersection, they finish speaking and
sounding the siren and then do not go anywhere else” (FGD, Men,
Paillant).
• A lack of standardization makes it is unclear what areas have re-
ceived warnings and which still need to be informed. Prior to Hur-
ricane Matthew, some households were visited multiple times by
volunteers while others received no visits at all.
• The means in which information is disseminated varies by area. In
many instances, it is transmitted by international NGOs, bypassing
the DPC. Additionally, NGOs are not always present and often leave.
• Information circulated through multiple communication channels,
especially in the urban areas, can become confusing.
27
Barrier 3. Inexperienced messengers
• CCPCs are composed of unpaid volunteers. This causes high turn-
over, that needs to be trained on a regular basis. New members
have no experience when they start. Mayors may not always under-
stand their role in disaster management. They lack training and an
understanding of the role of civil protection. This poses a challenge
as it is the mayor’s responsibility to activate COUC and work closely
with the CCPC. As the General Director of Les Cayes said: “Me per -
sonally, this is not a role I can play. I am only a part of the Mayor/
Municipal office in Les Cayes. Let me take a look because I can’t say
personally but it is civil protection who is responsible” (Interview,
Mayor, Les Cayes).
5.2 Obstacle 2: People Do Not
Understand EWS Messages
When the information arrives, messages are not always adapted in ways the
average person in Haiti understands and are rarely validated by trustworthy
sources. As a result, people do not always know where to go or what to do
or feel urgency in evacuating.
Barrier 4. Unclear messaging
• Messages are not always adapted to local educational and literacy
levels. For example, the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rang-
ing from category 1-5 (Appendix 2) is not informative to the gener-
al population in Haiti. As the General Director posed: “It should be
easier for people to understand the different categories. It should be
presented in a way that the people understand, in a language that
they understand. Perhaps, the words heavier, lighter, more violent”
(Interview, Mayor, Les Cayes).
• Although some seem to be familiar with the flag system, the pop-
ulation is not fully aware of what the three colors indicate or have
not they seen flags even if they know where they are supposedly
located.
Barrier 5. Distrust in the messenger
• There is a general distrust in the State and its representatives. Past
neglect leads the population to perceive them as prioritizing their
own interests and pockets. As a delegate explained: “If you wait for
the State, the State will never come“ (Interview, Delegate, Les Cayes).
• Though volunteers within CCPC are members of the community,
they may be seen as representatives of the State or NGOs. The pop-
5. Key Insights on Barriers to Evacuation
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 28
ulation does not fully understand the term volunteer. As one volun-
teer explained: “People may think you are not speaking the truth and
it is a false alarm.” (FGD, CCPC, Les Cayes).
• The likelihood and impact of a disaster cannot be predicted with
certainty due to changing storm trajectories. As a result, false
alarms may be given to people that end up not experiencing the
damage. This carries the risk of the “cry wolf” effect (Kunreuther &
Meyer, 2017), negatively affecting the credibility of the messenger.
Barrier 6. Lack of prior hurricane experience or
simulations
• Although Hurricane Matthew is now etched in people’s memories,
especially in the Southwestern Peninsula, people had little expe-
rience with storms prior to its landfall. As a teacher mentioned:
“There were many who understood the warnings, but others…let
me tell you, it is a people who need to see to believe. For me, I had
experienced Hurricane Allen and did not want to relive that experi-
ence” (Interview, Teacher, Les Cayes). Some people suffer amnesia,
a tendency to forget too quickly the lessons of past disasters (Kun-
reuther & Meyer, 2017).
• Population may not give enough importance to preparedness ac-
tivities such as yearly simulation exercises due to present bias: pre-
paredness activities have an immediate cost with benefits unclear
or in the future.
• Although yearly simulation exercises are conducted, these simu-
lations are insufficient to fully train all actors involved in EWS and
the entire population, exacerbated by the lack of disaster prepared-
ness activities in schools.
Barrier 7. Little, wrong, or misappropriate information
about best behaviors in a disaster scenario
• Messaging generally informed people to move animals away from
ravines, without explanation as to why and what the consequences
might be if animals were left by the ravine.
• Messaging said to stay away from windows while most of the popu-
lation does not have glass windows.
• People were observed taking their animals from the mountains and
tying them by rivers, despite the risk of rising waters or swelling rivers.
• The population does not know that they live in high-risk zones or
what defines a high-risk zone. The DPC does not have a precise defi-
nition, which may contribute to further confusion.
29
5.3 Obstacle 3: People Struggle to
Internalize Risk
Even when information arrives and is understood, people do not realize or
accept their actual level of risk. Many negate the information received (state
of denial) just because they do not want to believe it. Others feel there is
little to nothing they can do to prepare to save themselves (fatalistic belief)
so prefer to stay with their possessions instead of saving their lives.
Barrier 8. Underestimation of risk level
• State of denial: People tend to underestimate the probability of
negative events due to lack of historic references or experiences.
Religion is also very present in Haitian society. Culturally speaking,
many neither believe something until they have seen it nor think
God would let such a disaster befall them. From the experience of a
woman: “I heard about Matthew on the radio and when I told people,
they told me I was lying because God would not let such a thing hap-
pen to us and everyone said it was in God’s hands. They said let’s pray
and they started to pray…” (FGD, Women, Les Cayes).
• Fatalistic belief: There is frequent resignation to the possible
shocks related to natural disasters due to the everyday struggles
that most Haitians face. Many believe God will protect them which
may stem from both faith and the socioeconomic conditions giving
them little option but to put faith in God. As a woman put it: “You
make the preparations that you are able to if you have the means. If
you do not have the means, you are the mercy of God’s will because
if you do not have the means, you may not stay alive” (FGD, women,
Paillant).
Barrier 9. Temporal and spatial myopia
• When faced with an evacuation decision, the population focuses
on possessions rather than their lives, experiencing myopia - the
tendency to make decisions that prioritize short-term gains when
appraising immediate costs at the expense of long-term ones. Vol-
unteers noted that they had to remind people that the most im-
portant thing was to save their life, and that everything else comes
after. This is most likely due to a combination of socioeconomic
conditions and perceived threat the hazard poses.
• Emergency evacuation shelters do not allow livestock, requiring
that people leave them behind. Livestock (goats, donkeys, horses)
is the households’ main productive and financial asset. People cit-
ed fearing looters immediately after the hurricane, especially if they
5. Key Insights on Barriers to Evacuation
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 30
did not have means to secure their house (i.e. sturdy door or strong
lock). Little to no police patrol the streets that might deter thieves.
Therefore, the preference is to remain in the familiarity of and pro-
tect one’s home.
5.4 Obstacle 4: People Lack Access to
Resources and Shelters to Evacuate
Even when people internalize risk levels, structural challenges prevent them
from evacuating. Many people do not have a shelter close to their homes,
making it impossible to heed warnings. In rural areas especially, there is a
widespread lack of emergency evacuation shelters that can withstand hur-
ricane force winds. People may lack access to transportation or simply can-
not gain access to emergency evacuation shelters.
Barrier 10. Lack of resources needed to evacuate
• Quality of and limited access to vehicles and roads limit one’s abil-
ity to evacuate.
• The locations of vulnerable people (people with reduced mobility,
children, elderly) are not mapped and therefore unknown in ad-
vance to volunteers.
Barrier 11. Lack of access to shelters
• Some shelters are closed before a disaster occurs. Because most
shelters are schools, it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Educa-
tion in collaboration with Ministry of Interior and Local Authorities
to ensure schools are opened once the alert is given by the DPC. In
some instances, people have been forced to search for the person
holding the keys to the school.
5.5 Obstacle 5: People Prefer Not to
Evacuate
Given that people are not forced to evacuate, many prefer staying in their
homes with hopes they can wait out the storm, thinking the shelter might
be more harmful than staying (omission bias). Participants mentioned pre-
ferring to seek shelter in a friends’ or family member’s house instead of an
emergency evacuation shelter.
31
Barrier 12. Unsatisfactory experiences in emergency
evacuation shelters
• Unmanaged. CCPC volunteers or members of civil society who have
had adequate training are meant to manage and set the rules at a
shelter. But, rules and codes of conduct are not guaranteed. Their
limited presence and oversight may create spaces that are unsafe,
frequently overcrowded, and with hygiene challenges.
• Unsafe. The DPC has established clear guidance to guarantee safe-
ty in shelters (Secretariat Permanent de Gestion des Risques et des
Desastres, 2013), but a lack of resources means oversight cannot al-
ways be guaranteed. Emergency evacuation shelters have no sepa-
rate areas for women and children. Young men often drink alcohol,
smoke, and listen to loud music in the shelter. There is no privacy
and people are responsible for their own security and the safety of
their belongings. Volunteers cited cases of sexual aggression, es-
pecially in urban areas: “There are sometimes incidences of sexual
aggression and rape that go unreported in the shelters” (FGD, CCPC,
Les Cayes). Many go unreported due to stigma, and because the
perpetrator can sometimes be someone the victim knows. In other
cases, men benefited from humanitarian aid distributions and used
the aid to coerce (transactional sex). There are issues of theft.
• Lacking resources. Many people do not see why they should go to
emergency evacuation shelters given the lack of resources such as
food, water, first aid supplies or care, beds, and sheets. There is no
checklist of what should be stored in a shelter in preparation for a
disaster. Approximately 90 percent of shelters do not have appro-
priate WASH (water, and sanitation/hygiene) infrastructure includ-
ing toilets, latrines and running water. Most emergency evacuation
shelters do not have a power source or lighting, flashlights, clean-
ing or cooking supplies. When supply distributions do happen, they
seem to be infrequent and subpar.
Barrier 13. Shelters do not abide by building codes
and standards
• Emergency evacuation shelters in the municipalities most heavily
affected by Hurricane Matthew were either damaged or destroyed.
Many have remained severely damaged: “Luckily due to the grace
of God, we have not had another hurricane after Matthew. We would
not survive another one right now, especially since we have not re-
covered from the Matthew. In October, we just had 7 to 8 days of rain
that took out the pigeon pea harvest that usually pays for children’s
5. Key Insights on Barriers to Evacuation
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 32
school fees. It is always like putting an additional abscess on a blis-
ter” (Interview, CASEC, Paillant).
• Family shelters are even less likely to abide by building codes and
standards, often due to unenforced regulations or socioeconomic
conditions. As a woman leader explained: “Haiti has a huge problem
with its leaders, and the State does not play its role. People construct
however they want, wherever they want” (Interview, Woman Leader,
Les Cayes).
33
Photo: UNDP
The team suggests designing measures to anticipate the
biases and barriers that contribute to people failing to
evacuate. Behavioral recommendations (Table 2, Column
4, in bold) include simplification and saliency of key infor-
mation and procedures, timely dissemination of messag-
es, changing mindsets regarding perception of risk and
evacuation, and strengthening trust towards members of
CCPCs.
6
Ideas to Nudge
People to Evacuate to
A Safe Place on Time
35
Obstacles
Behavioral and
structural Barriers
Target (through DPC)
Ideas for intervention
(in bold, potential behaviorally informed ideas)
EWS messages do not arrive
(Warning dissemination and
communication)
1. Limited resources and
funding at all levels
EWS actors
• Ensure that limited funding is used efficiently and transparently at all
levels
2. Lack of standardization on
how EWS information is
transmitted
Communication channels,
EWS messengers
• Simplify communication channels and create one sole contingency plan
• Create vulnerability and resources mapping
3. Inexperienced messengers
EWS messengers,
general population
• Train messengers with behaviorally designed messages
• Non-monetary incentives (possibly social recognition) for CCPC to avoid
high turnover
People do not understand
EWS messages
(Warning dissemination and
communication)
4. Unclear messaging
EWS messages and
messengers, and general
population
• Simplify EWS messages through participatory schemes (FGDs), including
creating and testing visuals to illustrate threat types and levels
• Communication campaign explaining threat types and levels (simplified
and salient visuals)
• Work with NGO’s on the ground
5. Distrust in the messengerGeneral population
• Communication campaign promoting CCPC volunteering roles
• Involve religious leaders in communicating the message
6. Lack of prior hurricane
experience
EWS actors, general
population
• Ordered checklists to help people prepare and make use of social media
to circulate
• Conduct local simulations with children (design protocols with visuals)
• Communication campaigns just before hurricane season (i.e. soap
operas) that consider using messaging that refers to localized
experiences (i.e. Hurricane Matthew), communicate the severity (#
deaths)
TABLE 2.
BARRIERS AND IDEAS FOR INTERVENTIONS
6. Ideas to Nudge People to Evacuate to A Safe Place on Time
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 36
Obstacles
Behavioral and
structural Barriers
Target (through DPC)
Ideas for intervention
(in bold, potential behaviorally informed ideas)
People do not understand
EWS messages
(Warning dissemination and
communication)
7. Little, wrong, or
misappropriate information
about best behaviors in a
disaster scenario
EWS actors, general
population
• Zoning regulations that better communicate risk/ adapt messages to
local context
• Tailored messaging per locality
• Work with CCPC to have area specific messaging
• Action plan depending on risk level (1,2, 3, etc..)
People struggle to internalize
risk
(Risk knowledge and
internalization)
8. Underestimation of risk
level
• State of denial
• Fatalistic beliefs
General population
• Provide clear hazard consequences and make use of social media
• Clear and simple messages to counter fatalistic beliefs (emphasizing
survival rate for those who take precautions)
• Setup plans with neighbors (group resilience)
9. Temporal and spatial
myopia
EWS actors, general
population
• Build emergency evacuation shelters with space for livestock
• Clearer alert messaging focused on saving lives as a priority and
everything else coming after (i.e. loss aversion messaging)
People lack access to
resources and shelters
(Preparedness and response
capacity)
10. Lack of resources needed to
evacuate
General population, CCPC
• Nudge families to set up emergency plans prior to hazards
• Map vulnerable people
• CCPC to coordinate available vehicles in advance
11. Lack of access to
emergency evacuation
shelters
General population
• Assign a champion within the community responsible of opening each
shelter
37
Obstacles
Behavioral and
structural Barriers
Target (through DPC)
Ideas for intervention
(in bold, potential behaviorally informed ideas)
People prefer not to evacuate
(Preparedness and response
capacity)
12. Unsatisfactory experiences
in emergency evacuation
shelters
• Unmanaged
• Unsafe
• Lacking resources
General population CCPC
Government of Haiti
• Socially recognize CCPC (or someone within the community) to nudge
them to manage shelters
• Consider using churches which are better managed, and which people
have a different respect for
• Separate area for women and children
• Leverage cultural images to promote good behavior in the shelter (i.e.
religious sentences posted on the floor)
• Create ownership of shelters, and ensure equitable distribution of care
• Keep people busy in shelters, make shelters fun (gain framing)
13. 13. Shelters do not abide
by building codes and
standards
Government of Haiti
• Enforce law on building codes/norms
• Social recognition award for shelters that meet building codes/norms
6. Ideas to Nudge People to Evacuate to A Safe Place on Time
Photo: UNDP
Multiple barriers interfere with decision-making when Hai-
tians are presented with a natural hazard. To evacuate to
a safe place, the population needs to receive timely infor-
mation, understand and trust the message and messen-
ger, internalize risk, and know what to do and where to go.
This report highlights that this is often not the case. Many
times, the population does not receive alert messages due
to avoidable organizational and funding limitations. Oth-
er times, messages do arrive but are unclear or the popu-
lation does not have sufficient preparation experience to
know how to react.
This research also finds that several barriers contribute to people pre-
ferring to stay at home. Not only it is difficult to believe that the hurricane
is going to hit your house, but also it is understandable to fear leaving live-
stock behind. Moreover, people that have had poor experiences with emer-
gency evacuation shelters might avoid them. Finally, often do not have
access to either the resources needed to evacuate or to an emergency evac-
uation shelter, both barriers impeding the evacuation.
Proposed interventions do not need to be costly or complex. Most rec-
ommendations tweak, refine, and simplify existing systems using a human
centered approach. The team proposes taking an iterative and adaptive ap-
proach to designing and testing solutions before scaling up. This approach
will ensure solutions are designed based on the realities on the ground and
considering the current mindset, beliefs and barriers of the target popula-
tion. We aim to take advantage of known shortcuts or rules of thumbs to
simplify decisions in presence of a hazard. Having said this, the team also
recognizes the importance of structural barriers and recommends the DRM
7
Conclusion
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 40
WB team and the Government of Haiti addressing them in a more compre-
hensive manner if a more efficient EWS is to happen.
Insights from this report have been integrated in the design of the
US$35 million Strengthening Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resil-
ience Project (P165870). This Project aims to improve (i) early warning and
emergency evacuation capacity in selected municipalities in high climate
risk-prone areas, and (ii) the provision of and accessibility to emergen-
cy evacuation shelters or “safe havens.” The Project comprises four com-
ponents: strengthening disaster preparedness and emergency response
capacity, with a strong focus on strengthening the CCPCs and promoting
building regulation and resilient construction practices; construction and
rehabilitation of “safe havens”; contingent emergency response; and proj-
ect management and implementation support. The Ministry of Interior and
Local Authorities, through the DPC, will be responsible for the implementa-
tion of the Project. Various institutions will be direct beneficiaries of project
activities, including the BTB/MTPTC, CNIGS, and the Ministry of Education
(MENFP).
MAIN AUTHORS
Claudia Soto Orozco, DRM Specialist (SLCUR)
Emilie Perge, Economist (ELCPV)
Jessica Hsu, Consultant (ELCPV)
Jimena Llopis, Behavioral Scientist (eMBeD) (EPVGE)
Lace Padilla, Consultant (ELCPV)
Zeina Afif, Senior Social Scientist (eMBeD) (EPVGE)
MAIN CONTRIBUTORS
Ali Alwahti, Consultant (SLCUR)
Cecile Lorillou, Consultant (SLCUR)
Giovanni Michele Toglia, Consultant (SLCUR)
Roland Alexander Bradshaw, Senior DRM Specialist (SLCUR)
41
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EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 42
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43
APPENDIX 1
FIELD STUDY METHODOLOGY
AND DIAGNOSTIC ACTIVITIES
Preliminary diagnostic work. Prior to the field visit in October, between
October 9
th
and 10
th
, 2018, a team from the WB comprised by Emilie Perge,
Jimena Llopis and Jessica Hsu (from Poverty and eMBeD) conducted nine
SSIs with key informants from governmental institutions (DPC, MSPP, MEN-
FP) and international organizations (OCHA, IOM, UNDP) based in Port-au-
Prince (see Table 2).
TABLE 1. INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED WITH KEY INFORMANTS AND LOCATIONS DURING THE DIAGNOSTIC
WORK
Date Location Interviewed Role and Institution Contact details
October 9th DPC Jerry Chandler Director of the DPC chandler.jerry@gmail.com
October 9th DPC
Marcus Cadet
Coordinator, DRM focal
point for MSPP
October 9th DPC
Jean-Henry
Telemanque
Coordinator GRD, DRM
focal point for MNEFP
October 9th DPC
Marie Lita
Descolines
DPC
October 9th DPC
Rose Luce Cadot
Prevot
German Jean Elie
USAID, DPC
jeanelieg@yahoo.fr
October 10thUNDP Adeline Carrier Head of resilient unitadeline.carrier@undp.org
October 10thOCHA
Alix Nijimbere
Nadege Nodji
Mbairaroau
Humanitarian Reporting
Officer, Humanitarian
Liaison Officer, OCHA
October 10thIOM Giuseppe Loprete Chief of mission, IOMgloprete@iom.int
USING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,
EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN
HAITI 44
Diagnostic work. Between October 22
th
and 26
th
, 2018, a team from
the WB comprised by 5 local consultants; Jessica Hsu, Donald Antoine,
James-son Vamblain, Manouchka Justin and Reginald Milfort conducted
diagnostic work in Paillant and Les Cayes through six FGDs and 16 SSIs with
the goal of identifying barriers that limit evacuation decisions (see table 3).
TABLE 2. INTERVIEWS AND FGDS CONDUCTED AND LOCATIONS DURING THE DIAGNOSTIC
WORK
Date Agent Instrument Location
October 22th CCPC FGD Paillant
October 22th CCPC Interview Paillant
October 22th CASEC Interview Paillant
October 23th Men FGD Paillant
October 23th Professor Interview Paillant
October 23th Voodoo Priest Interview Paillant
October 23th Women FGD Paillant
October 23th Women never evacuated Interview Paillant
October 23th Women never evacuated Interview Paillant
October 23th Women Leader Interview Paillant
October 24th Red Cross Interview Les Cayes
October 24th Teacher Interview Les Cayes
October 24th Mayor Interview Les Cayes
October 25th Department delegate Interview Les Cayes
October 25th DPC Interview Les Cayes
October 25th Pastor Interview Les Cayes
October 25th Police officer Interview Les Cayes
October 25th Women leader group FGD Les Cayes
October 25th Women leader Interview Les Cayes
October 26th CCPC FGD Les Cayes
October 26th Director general Interview Les Cayes
October 26th Women FGD Les Cayes
45
APPENDIX 2
HURRICANE CLASSIFICATION
TABLE 3. HURRICANE CATEGORIES AND IMPACT
Category Winds Damage
5 157 mph or higher Catastrophic damage will occur
4 130 - 156 mph Catastrophic damage will occur
3 111-129 mph Devastating damage will occur
2 96 - 110 mph Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage
1 74 - 95 mph Very dangerous winds will produce some damage
Source: National Hurricane Center https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php