The program implemented by JICA will be carried out annually and around 30 professionals will be trained over a period of three years.
SANTO DOMINGO.- From promoting inclusion in essential buildings for people with disabilities, to evaluating the feasibility of school reinforcement methods used in Japan, these are some of the proposals from various institutions for reducing risks from seismic events in the Dominican Republic.
The plans were presented by scholarship recipients from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which approved the Knowledge Co-Creation Program focused on the country, on the diagnosis of the seismic resistance of buildings, based on the official request of the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie).
The training held in Japan was attended by mid-level and executive personnel who play a central role in the seismic risk policies of the institutions that make up the seismic committee of the Dominican Republic.
During the presentation of the action plans, the JICA resident representative in the country, Kota Sakaguchi, thanked the project participants and highlighted the importance of joint work between the Dominican government, the Japanese government and the private sector to advance in the reduction and adaptation to seismic risks.
Leonardo Reyes Madera, director of Onesvie, thanked JICA for its openness and for sharing the experience accumulated over many years of dealing with major seismic events. “This gives us the opportunity to refresh our knowledge and reaffirm our commitment to our country,” he said.
Following the presentation of the plans, the experts under the JICA Artists in Project scheme, Mr. Izumi Sohji and Mr. Inoue Fumihiro, indicated that it is interesting to see that the Dominican Republic and Japan share challenges related to disaster risk and expressed their satisfaction at seeing the coalition of entities to address them, suggesting that they act in a coordinated manner.
The objective of the training is for Onesvie and relevant entities, members of the seismic committee, to acquire basic knowledge in the field of seismic engineering and earthquake resistance, so that they are ready to promote seismic risk reduction projects in the Dominican Republic based on a long-term roadmap.
The action plans also placed special emphasis on disseminating education on earthquake-resistant building technology and promoting prevention and awareness activities regarding seismic events.
Representatives from the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Ibero-American University (UNIBE), the Ministry of Housing, Habitat and Buildings (MIVHED), the Ministry of Education (MINERD), the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC), the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie), among others, participated in the presentation.
The program implemented by JICA will be carried out annually and around 30 professionals will be trained over a period of three years.
