The response to hurricane Wilma. Lessons learned by the water and sanitation services in Cancun. G. Aguilera Soriano*, H. Contreras Zepeda, R. Robles**, J. M. Audic* *Suez Environment, CIRSEE, 38 rue du président Wilson, 78230 Le Pecq, France **Aguakan, Ave. Nader No. 35, SM 2, MZ 9, Centro, 77500 Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico Abstract: The city of Cancun in Mexico is frequently subjected to the impact of hurricanes. Hurricane Wilma which passed through the city in 2005 has been the most devastating in the history of the Yucatan peninsula. The water and sanitation services operator of Cancun, Aguakan, has developed a manual of crisis procedures through which a risk management and crisis strategy is established. Through its experience in dealing with hurricane events, Aguakan has derived a series of lessons that have contributed to the rapid response and recovery of the water services. Among the lessons learned, the support to the staff and their families, the provision of a specific crisis fund and the signature of cooperation agreements with institutions and companies outside the disaster area have been key to the reestablishment of the water and sanitation services. The objective of this work is to present the lessons learned by Aguakan through the preparation, response and recovery from hurricane events and in particular to hurricane Wilma. The lessons learned constitute a contribution towards the development of a preparedness, response and recovery framework for hurricane-disaster scenarios. Keywords: Hurricane; preparedness; response; recovery. INTRODUCTION The Yucatan peninsula in Mexico is frequently subjected to hurricanes. Although today’s projections are not reliable enough to predict whether or not there will be more hurricanes in the 21st century as a result of global warming, those hurricanes that do occur expected to be stronger and have significantly more rainfall than under present day climate conditions (World Meteorological Organization, 2006). In October 2005, the municipalities of Benito Juarez (Cancun) and Isla Mujeres in the Quintana Roo state suffered severe damage caused by the passage of hurricane Wilma (category 4), the most devastating in the history of the peninsula. For more than 36 hours winds with a speed over 210 km/h hit the central and surrounding urban areas of Cancun. Besides the devastating winds Wilma brought large amounts of water causing floodings, as about 1000 mm of rainfall occurred during the passage of this hurricane (1 m3 of water/m2). The damage caused to the city infrastructure was as follows: • The electricity infrastructure was considerably damaged leaving the city of Cancun without electricity for more than 4 days and Isla Mujeres for more than 6 days • Water and sanitation services were disrupted due to the lack of electricity • Floodings in the urban area • Thousands of houses, as well as shops and schools were damaged • 30% of the hotels suffered structural damage • Motorways were flooded, ports were destroyed and the airports damaged • Bank services were interrupted As a result of the implementation of a coordinated strategy the water and sanitation services were fully reestablished in a very short time as can be seen in the following figures Water Practice & Technology Vol 3 No 3 © IWA Publishing 2008 doi: 10.2166/WPT.2008057 Figure 1. Image of hurricane Wilma before its arrival to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The operator of the water and sanitation services, Aguakan, prepared and implemented this strategy with the support of the public electricity company (Comision Federal de Electricidad) and the regulator (Comision Nacional del Agua), all the participants were coordinated through the Civil Protection Committee. The objective of this work is to present the lessons learned by Aguakan through the preparation, response and recovery from hurricane events and in particular to hurricane Wilma. These lessons will constitute a contribution towards the building of a preparedness, response and recovery framework. PREPAREDNESS: A MANUAL OF CRISIS PROCEDURES In order to prepare a risk management and crisis strategy specific for hurricane events, Aguakan developed a manual of crisis procedures (Aguakan, 2007). This manual has guided the response and recovery actions to be undertaken whenever a hurricane threatens and passes through the municipalities of Benito Juarez (Cancun) and Isla Mujeres. The manual is a dynamic tool that is improved and updated every year by all the members of a large committee bringing together all the government institutions and entities involved in the recovery of water services. Some of the most relevant elements of the risk management strategy developed by Aguakan are shown in Figure 2. This strategy clearly provides an answer to the questions: what to do?, when to do it?, and where to do it?. In this strategy, planning is an ongoing activity required to identify the actions to be undertaken in the subsequent phases. The lessons learned with every hurricane event are incorporated to the planning phase to maintain a learning cycle with continuous improvements. According to the manual of crisis procedures (Aguakan, 2007), crisis management is conducted in two main steps. Prior to the event, preventive and monitoring actions are conducted in order to reduce the risks and to set priorities for action in collaboration with the government institutions and municipal authorities. The main measures taken prior to the event are as follows: • Protection of infrastructure and building sites where works are in progress. All office buildings are protected and building sites are temporarily closed. • Protection of data basis and information technology systems. It is ensured that all electrical and electronic equipment is turned off and stored in designated areas. • Water storage. A water storage scheme is implemented according to which water is stored in Aguakan storage tanks but also in those of the hotels, shops and houses with a large capacity (the use of these tanks for water storage requires the prior establishment of an agreement with the owners). The inventory of all the tanks is made and kept by Aguakan. The tanks are filled with water prior to the arrival of a hurricane. 2 • Collection and storage of equipment and spare parts. Equipment such as electricity generators and water production units are collected and stored at strategic locations. The main spare parts of equipment required to restore water supply are also gathered and stored at these locations. DISASTER APPROACH CYCLE: WHAT TO DO? AREAS OF INTEREST: WHERE TO ACT? Planning Employees ÂStaff and their families data base ÂBe aware about the potential risks Installations ÂUpdated inventory ÂRisk evaluation & identification Services Financing Communication & coordination Prevention ÂFood storage and provision ÂFamily protection ÂPayment of salaries in cash and in advance Reestablishment of services ÂBalance of the situation of the employees and ÂSupport for the their families recovery of the family ÂPayment of salaries wealth and property in cash ÂFood provision to staff and their families ÂProtection of equipment, ÂDamage survey infrastructure, building sites ÂPriorities setting in progress ÂCollection and storage of equipment & materials ÂWater storage ÂDisaster response tests pumping stations ÂInsurance policy ÂDisaster funds ÂResources and cash provision ÂDamage assessment ÂEvaluation of unearned income ÂAdvice for the care of people and for the protection of installations ÂIndications about the situation of the water services. ÂHealth and hygiene advice ÂW ith population to make them aware of the situation Permanent ÂReconstruction ÂReinforcement ÂPriorities setting ÂRisk evaluation & identification ÂAlternatives identification ÂAction plan ÂInventory of private and public water storage points ÂW ith civil protection entities within the 3 government levels Reconstruction ÂEmptying of sewage Imminent arrival of event ÂTemporary water supply with tankers ÂLocal operation with generators ÂDrinking water quality monitoring First hours after the event ÂOperating tests ÂReconnection by steps ÂMonitoring of the network operating conditions ÂFunding (insurance, government support ÂRational financing strategy ÂRequest of support to normalize the situation Following weeks PERIODS OF ACTION: WHEN TO DO IT? Figure 2. Main elements of the risk management strategy contained in the Manual of Crisis Procedures. • Implementation of a communication strategy for the population. Communication should be a continuous activity and should start well before the arrival of the event. Its objectives will vary as the event makes its progress. Its initial objective should be to make the population aware of the risks. Secondly, it should be geared towards informing the population about what to do. During the event and during the normalization period communication should serve to alert and inform people about the risks as the situation evolves. Thereafter, actions are undertaken during and after the hurricane mainly to reestablish water supply: • Water supply reestablishment. After the event actions are taken with the objective of reestablishing a minimum water supply for specific public institutions (i.e. hospitals) and for the population, according to a defined order of priorities, i.e. drinking water production mobile units are used and distribution pipes are installed. Agreements established with the independent water sellers before the event prevent abusive practices and allow for an efficient water distribution. • Provision of food to Aguakan employees and families and payment of salaries in cash. Food provisions sufficient to survive for several days are provided and salaries are paid in cash after the event. • Ensure the security of Aguakan employees and families. Support is provided to the families of the Aguakan employees through the provision of food and protection. 3 • Coordination of actions with public entities and contract of specialized services for the provision of equipment outside the disaster zone The implementation of the above actions and as previously mentioned the implementation of a coordinated strategy allowed Aguakan to fully reestablish the water and sanitation services in a very short time after hurricane Wilma hit Cancun (see Figure 3 below): • Drinking water. Full operation of the 144 wells and the 40 water pumping stations was achieved in only 7 days after the hurricane stroke, allowing Aguakan to reach its average water production of 160 550 m3/d and to distribute it among the served population (595 500 inhabitants). • Sanitation. 8 days after hurricane Wilma passed, the 53 sewage pumping stations and the 7 sewage treatment plants were all in operation. Aguakan collects and treats in average 40 000 m3/d of sewage corresponding to a served population of 459 600 inhabitants. Sanitation services in operation Water Services in operation 120% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 25-oct 26-oct 27-oct 28-oct 29-oct 30-oct 120% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 25-oct 26-oct 27-oct 28-oct 29-oct 30-oct 31-oct Figure 3. Progression in the reestablishment of the operation of the water and sanitation services in the aftermath of the passage of hurricane Wilma in Cancun. LESSONS LEARNED In the aftermath of a hurricane event rapid recovery of the water and sanitation services is essential to prevent epidemic outbreaks. In developing countries rapid recovery of water services is also of extreme importance to prevent independent water suppliers from selling this vital commodity at excessive prices (well above its real cost), thereby creating social tensions, and to reduce the risks of damage to the water infrastructure by the population in their hunt for water. In the particular case of Cancun a rapid recovery of the water and sanitation services plays a very important role in reestablishing the tourist industry and therefore the local economy. The major lessons learned by Aguakan throughout its experience with hurricane events that have allowed for a rapid response and recovery of the water and sanitation services are described below. Coordination mechanisms The establishment of coordination mechanisms among all the participants is at the heart of the preparedness, response and recovery actions following a disaster event (hurricane). These mechanisms need to be clear and efficient in order to facilitate taking action during the emergency and reconstruction phases. In Mexico substantial progress has been made in this direction through the civil protection committees. This is particularly true in the state of Quintana Roo where a disaster prevention culture has developed as a result of its continuous exposition to hurricanes. 4 In Cancun, Aguakan has played a decisive role within the local civil protection committee by means of which all the parties involved converge to decide the actions required for the reestablishment of water supply. As the water services operator, Aguakan has set clear operational priorities to the electricity services operator (Comision Federal de Electricidad, CFE), the water and sanitation regulator (Comision Nacional del Agua, CNA) and the national army. Today it has become clear for these institutions that the main priority is the reestablishment of the water supply. After the passage of hurricane Wilma, in a highly coordinated effort the electricity services operator (CFE) dedicated 2500 technicians to reestablish the lines required to put back in service the wells, the pumping stations and the treatment plants. As part of this effort, the water and sanitation regulator (CNA) provided 15 mobile electricity generators and 18 mobile drinking water production units and coordinated federal, state and municipal government teams to support the reconstruction tasks. Safety and security culture. The creation of a safety and security culture is a requirement for the efficient implementation of the procedures described in the manuals. The implementation of disaster response tests to ensure that all Aguakan operators have the capacity to respond in case of an emergency has proved extremely valuable in the application of the procedures in a real situation. These tests have been complemented with safety and security training schemes. These actions conducted within the framework of Aguakan safety and security policy have contributed decisively to create a safety and security culture which today is deep-rooted among the employees. Emergency funds Since the costs of disaster recovery could be very high it is necessary to count with emergency funds, i.e. public and private insurance funds. Availability of emergency funds will allow for a faster recovery. In Mexico a dedicated funding agency (Fonden, Fondo de Desastres Naturales) was created several years ago to support disaster recovery. Funds are obtained through the general tax system and used for any type of disaster in any part of the country. Despite the existence of public emergency funds, it is recommended that water and sanitation services operators count with their own insurance funds. This will reduce the dependency on other instances and could speed up recovery. Public funding allocation could be slow and may result in higher recovery costs. Support to employees and their families In general little attention is given to the need of ensuring that the water services operators have the minimum conditions that will allow them to be fully at work once a hurricane (or any other disaster) has passed. So, among all the actions indicated by the manual of crisis procedures (Aguakan, 2007) the provision of these minimum conditions has shown to be of utmost importance. The provision of these conditions involves: • the provision of food and water to Aguakan employees and their families. The prevention plan derived from the manual of crisis procedures (Aguakan, 2007) considers the provision of food to the Aguakan employees and their families. Food provisions sufficient to survive for several days are provided immediately after the event. After the passage of a hurricane food is scarce or not available in the market, so the provision of food will allow the employees and their families to feed themselves during this period. • the payment of salaries in cash. The salaries of Aguakan employees paid in cash an in advance shortly before the arrival of a hurricane. The fact that salaries are paid in cash allows Aguakan operators to maintain their purchasing power. Otherwise, and due to the fact that the banking services are interrupted during and after the event, the operators could not buy any of the basic products they may require in the post-event period. 5 • post-event family support until the situation becomes stable. During the post-event period. Aguakan provides shelter (hotel room or other) for the operators families whose houses are damaged and/or flooded. In this case Aguakan also requests government support for the repair of the employees houses. Special support is also provided to sick members of the staff or of their families (provision of medicine and medical services). Financial strategy and reserves A sound financial strategy is central to reduce the costs associated to a disaster (before, during and after the event). The financial strategy should include capital reserves, the implementation of an insurance policy and alternative financial solutions to the shortfall in income resulting from the disaster event. The lack of financial reserves and the shortfall in income in the aftermath of an event can put the continuity of the water and sanitation services at risk. In Mexico this represents a great risk to the operators since the great majority of them perceive a revenue only sufficient to cover their operating expenses. Aguakan counts today with a specific crisis fund (capital reserves) that allows for a faster response and recovery from hurricanes. Aguakan as part of an big industrial group has the capacity to cover the immediate financial needs required to respond and reestablish water services. For small companies this is not the case, for them the availability of capital reserves becomes imperative. In relation to the company insurance it is of great importance to carefully assess the damage caused by the event and carefully prioritize the areas where available funds and reserves should be spent. Development of a close relationship with insurance companies is recommended in order to obtain a prompt response in a disaster situation when they are flooded with demands from all affected parties. Technical capacity The speed of response and recovery to a disaster event also depends on the technical capacity of the water and sanitation services operator. Professional service management, staff training and the implementation of robust technologies are vital to guarantee the continuity of water supply in the aftermath of disaster events. Figure 4. Preparation of food provisions by Aguakan personnel. Distribution of food packages to Aguakan operators and their families. 6 Water distribution points Soon after the passage of a hurricane it is very important to implement water distribution points within the affected areas and to immediately inform the population about their location. If not informed the population will search for water to cover their basic needs at any accessible point in the distribution network. In this way many of the pipes in the distribution network could be vandalized and their reparation once water supply is back to normal could entail heavy costs. Controlled water distribution by tankers Water distribution by tankers should be closely supervised and controlled to prevent corruption and to make water available to all the population. Experience in Mexico has shown that if tanker distribution is not supervised and controlled the owners will fill their tankers and will sell the water at a hefty price. Aguakan has tackled this problem by dedicating its commercial staff to the supervision of water distribution. In a post-disaster scenario the customer services are interrupted therefore the staff in this area can be dedicated to the supervision of water distribution until water supply resumes. Cooperation agreements with institutions and companies outside the disaster area It is recommended to establish alliances and agreements with suppliers of specialized equipment and materials outside the disaster zone. In the aftermath of a disaster, the supply of specialized equipment and materials could be very restrictive or non existent in the impacted region. If available the cost of specialized equipment and materials could be very high. To prevent abusive practices from equipment and materials suppliers it is required to establish emergency agreements and conditions prior to the event. Adjustment of the water services operator objectives to the post-disaster conditions In the aftermath of a hurricane of great magnitude, it is very likely that the medium and longterm objectives of the water services operator are no longer in adequacy to the post-disaster reality. In these conditions the water services operator objectives need to be revised and agreed in conjunction with the regulating bodies. Figure 5. Arrival of specialized equipment to the disaster zone (power generators, pumping systems, etc). Installation of a power generator. 7 Risks sharing Whenever a disaster occurs government institutions and organizations could be overwhelmed by the large amount of aid that may be required. This is particularly true when a large region is affected and several cities and towns are affected. In these situations public-private partnerships represent an alternative way of sharing risks. In Cancun and Isla Mujeres where Aguakan was responsible for reestablishing the water supply, the government could allocate its human, material and financial resources to other areas like health, food provision and security. In this way a great part of the risks were transferred to the private sector, reducing government exposition and increasing its capacity to deal with other areas. Risks, financial health and tariffs In order to preserve the financial health of (public or private) companies operating in cities, towns or villages prone to disaster events, tariffs in these locations need to reflect the associated risks, i.e. tariffs could be increased by certain percentage points according to the associated level of risk. Although Aguakan has no experience in this field, the implementation of this recommendation should provide the water and sanitation services operator with the required resources to give a prompt response and to instrument a fast recovery from a disaster. In the long term it will contribute to the continuity of the water and sanitation services. CONCLUSIONS Through the hurricane events (in particular hurricane Wilma) that have affected the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Aguakan (Cancun water and services operator), has gained a wealth of experience and has derived a series of lessons. Among the main lessons learnt, the support to Aguakan staff and their families, the provision of a specific crisis fund and the cooperation agreements with institutions and companies outside the disaster area have been key to the response and recovery of the water services. After hurricane Wilma left the city of Cancun, the implementation of the strategy and measures described in the Manual of procedures and the response and recovery plan allowed to: • reestablish 100% of the water supply in 7 days • reestablish 100% of the sanitation services in 8 days • customer services were reestablished in 8 days Other relevant lessons that need to be considered in the aftermath of a hurricane, in particular in developing countries, are the need to immediately inform the population about the location of the water distribution points (this will prevent people from breaking and causing damage to the network) and the control and supervision of water distribution by tankers to prevent corruption. The quick reestablishment of the water and sanitation services allowed for an accelerated economic recovery of the tourist industry in Cancun. REFERENCES Aguakan (2007). Manual de procedimientos del comité operativo de control de riesgos y crisis por huracan 2007. Aguakan internal document. World Meteorological Organization (2006). Summary statement of the 6th International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones. San José, Costa Rica. November. 8