BR23: Building rural resilience to natural disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean through smart villages

Workshop Report 31
Policy Brief

The resilience of rural communities to natural disasters and other shocks is an important issue for rural villages; hard-won development gains can all too readily be lost through natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts, and floods. This is particular so for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which are at risk from a wide range of natural events.

Leading experts from across the region were therefore brought together for a workshop in Quito, Ecuador on 30 January 2017 to discuss the challenges and opportunities of building the resilience to natural disasters of villages in Latin America and the Caribbean. A particular concern was the contribution of energy services to the resilience and development of rural communities, and the consequent establishment of smart villages which realise the benefits inherent in energy access and connectivity in the form of productive enterprises and key services such as healthcare, education, and clean water. This policy brief summarises key conclusions and recommendations arising from the workshop.

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