Santo Domingo hosts regional seminar on disaster preparedness for airports and ports

Santo Domingo.- Disaster management specialists from across Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Santo Domingo for the 2026 International Seminar on Strategic Disaster Preparedness in Airports, Ports and Communities, aimed at strengthening emergency response and resilience in critical infrastructure.

Organized by the CIFAL Miami Centre of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), with support from Aerodom, Vinci Airports, FedEx, ACI-LAC and the CIFAL network, the two-day seminar brought together experts from the aviation, port, civil protection and emergency management sectors.

Participants exchanged best practices on hurricane preparedness, operational continuity, humanitarian logistics, interagency coordination and disaster recovery through keynote presentations, case studies and practical exercises.

The event was attended by representatives from the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Mescyt), the Emergency Operations Center (COE), Civil Defense, the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), the Dominican Red Cross, airlines, airport and port authorities, and international organizations.

Carlos Rodolí, Aerodom’s Northern Cluster director, emphasized that airports play a vital role during natural disasters by supporting rescue operations, humanitarian aid and recovery efforts, stressing that preparedness and collaboration are essential to protecting lives and maintaining critical services.