Challenges of Managing Animals in Disasters in the U.S.

Common to many of the repeated issues surrounding animals in disasters in the U.S. is a pre-existing weak animal health infrastructure that is under constant pressure resulting from pet overpopulation. Unless this root cause is addressed, communities remain vulnerable to similar issues with animals they and others have faced in past disasters. In the US the plight of animals in disasters is frequently viewed primarily as a response issue and frequently handled by groups that are not integrated with the affected community's emergency management. In contrast, animals, their owners, and communities would greatly benefit from integrating animal issues into an overall emergency management strategy for the community. There is no other factor contributing as much to human evacuation failure in disasters that is under the control of emergency management when a threat is imminent as pet ownership. Emergency managers can take advantage of the bond people have with their animals to instill appropriate behavior amongst pet owners in disasters.

The impact of epizootics on livelihoods.

Epizootics (nonhuman animal disease epidemics) can have detrimental impacts on livelihoods through a complex interaction of demographic trends, food production, and animal disease. Differences in the rate of demographic shifts, including rates of population growth, economic growth, urbanization, environmental sustainability, and role of women in society, are strong driving forces that will determine to what extent food demand will be matched by food production capacity. Epizootics can negatively affect commerce and trade in all countries, and in low-income countries limited infrastructure and resources as well as competing priorities provide additional disincentive to controlling or eradicating animal diseases. Economic growth is critical to overcoming disparities among countries and is best supported by integrated animal health, public health, labor, and foreign policies. The adverse impacts of epizootics can be largely overcome through programs that support job growth along the value-added chain of food production and will require significant investments in science- (risk-) based education.

Outline for a disaster reduction programme for livestock in Central America

Central America has a high predisposition to natural disasters. For example, in the last 10 years nearly 40.000 people have died as a result of earthquakes, floods and hurricanes in Central America, at an estimated cost to these countries in excess of US$8.5 billon.Catastrophic events olso have a great impact on agriculture. In 1994, the direct losses in grain production in Central America as a result of droughts alone were estimated to be approximately US$44 million. The estimated value of the Central American livestock agriculture is US$3.3 billon, and employs nearly 10

of all people. Therefore, animal husbandry systems contibute significantly to the economic and political strength of Central American countries, and represent a large portion of each countrys standar of living, cultural heritage and identity. In many areas in Central America, the long term stability of the environment olso depends heavily on sustainable agriculture, which is based on traditional livestock husbandry systems and social structures. (AU)