250 TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1755 LISBON EARTHQUAKE

250 TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1755 LISBON EARTHQUAKE Related keys in disaster management and diminution in social-economic impact on communities vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunami Example of Guadeloupe island a French overseas department By Dr. M. LUBINO-BISSAINTE MIRAI Sustainable Development Consultancy (MSDC) NGO, Guadeloupe (F. W. I) Copyright MIRAI-SDC

INTRODUCTION Since approximately 55 millions of years, the Eastern Caribbean Area is concerned by an important volcanic and seismic activity. l The Guadeloupe archipelago (a French overseas department) is the main island of this geodynamical subduction zone located between the North American Plate and the South American Plate. l Global Tectonic map (the location of the Guadeloupe archipelago is in red). The length of the spreading rate vector arrow is proportional to the spreading rate. Copyright MIRAI-SDC (Wilson, 1993).

l On the 1 st November 1755, approximately 10 hours after the Lisbon earthquake, on several points of the Guadeloupe island but also on several points of the other Caribbean islands as well (Poey, 1857), like Martinique (the other overseas French department in this geodynamic zone) there was a considerable withdrawal of the sea followed by devastating waves (Ballet, 1890). Copyright MIRAI-SDC

l l l It is reported that there were no victims but material damages (Ballet, 1890). Ballet in 1890 had noticed that since the eighteenth century, the exponential growth of human losses in our island was link to the increase in the high-risk situations of anthropic origin such as demographic growth, uncontrolled urban development in the vulnerable areas. In 1755 only 56 195 people were living in Guadeloupe (Ballet, 1896). Nowadays, 422 496 people are living there and of course several studies have already pointed out that the death toll in case of a big earthquake could be very important (Kert, 1998). Copyright MIRAI-SDC

Conclusion To decrease the impact of disaster it is necessary to implicate the entire communities in disaster management policy according to the “governance” concept. This concept can be considered as one of the ways to link empowerment of the populations (or communities) and responsibility of the local governments. With this concept vulnerable people will be able to manage the crisis first on their owns. l Copyright MIRAI-SDC

l The systemic approach means that we are creating some partnerships between the government and the communities with legal support and legislation (as we have in France). These partnerships can be economical and social ones and based upon special approaches such as: l cindynic, (which is the science of how to be aware of danger and the best way to mitigate it), l sociological - management (how to work with people according to the several grass-roots of a plural ethnic population as we have in Guadeloupe and in many other countries ), l environmental-management and economic activities (how to have economic and industrial activities and improve the quality and protection of the natural environment of a vulnerable country). Copyright MIRAI-SDC I thank you for your attention.