4-5. The Project on Capacity Development for Disaster
Risk Management in Central America “BOSAI”
Countries in Central America frequently face natural disaster risks such as earthquakes, tsunamis,volcanic activities, hurricanes, floods, and landslides. The Center for Coordination for thePrevention of Natural Disasters in Central America (CEPREDENAC), which represents thegovernments of six countries in the region (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa
Rica, and Panama), created a plan regarding cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) on the development of disaster-resilient societies.

Fig. 4-5-1 Central America and project sites

Fig. 4-5-2 Used tire wall, Costa Rica

The project on Capacity Development for Disaster Risk Management in Central America, called
the BOSAI project, covers the period from May 2007 to April 2012 and aims to reduce disasterrisks and damage by increasing the disaster management capacity of communities and local
governments. The main component of this project is to transmit the spirit of “BOSAI”, or disaster
preparedness and the willingness to face current disasters, learn from past disasters, and prepare forfuture disasters.

Fig. 4-5-3 Early warning system, El Salvador

Fig. 4-5-4 Tsunami DIG, Nicaragua

Pilot projects are being implemented in communities in each Central American country using thevarious tools and methods that have been developed, such as the Disaster Imagination Game (DIG),
hazard mapping, risk evaluation, evacuation drills, and disaster education activities, as well as the50

4. Human Resource Development
installation of rain gauges, river gauges, used tire walls, volcano monitoring systems, and early
warning systems. The BOSAI project has three internal inputs: long-term experts, short-term
experts, and donated equipment. This project also has four related inputs: a training course in Japan,
a training course in Mexico, Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), and cooperation
with other international donors.

Fig. 4-5-5 Sandbag collection, Panama

Fig. 4-5-6 Community Risk Map, Honduras

ADRC dispatched Mr. Arakida to Central America to serve as a long-term expert for JICA from
September 2006 to August 2009. He organized a kick-off meeting for the BOSAI project in May
2007, supported the creation of annual operating plans in each country, held various workshops at
the national, municipal, and community levels, and arranged Japanese professors to visit asshort-term experts. He also developed coordinators to conduct activities in various communities
and to coordinate detailed plans with key players in each country. He and other experts traveledaround six countries over the course of three years.
Mr. Arakida brought various experiences and techniques from Japan and other Asian countries tothe BOSAI project, but he also learned some useful lessons from Central America, including theability to develop low-cost early warning systems in cooperation with residents in both upstream
and downstream areas, and the importance of holding a preliminary training course before sending
trainees to attend training in Japan. Some of these lessons are likely to be spread to the countries ofAsia through future ADRC activities.

Fig. 4-5-7 Volcano education, Guatemala

Fig. 4-5-8 Coordinators' meeting51