Development & Aid, Headlines, Latin America & the Caribbean

MEXICO: Hurricane-Proofing History

Diego Cevallos

MEXICO CITY, Jun 17 2006 (IPS) - New infrastructure, insurance and technical training are part of Mexico’s preparations for protecting valuable archaeological sites, museums, and buildings dating back to colonial times in the forthcoming hurricane season.

A large part of the country’s historical heritage is located in the south and southeast, which are hit hardest by tropical storms and hurricanes.

Forecasts for the coming hurricane season predict that the tropical zone of the Americas will be subjected to 13 to 16 tropical storms, four of which could be of high force.

Tropical storms and their larger relative, the hurricane, are formed when ocean temperatures rise in near-tropical latitudes, which occurs from June to November in the northern hemisphere.

“We’re taking all necessary steps to prevent damage and to avoid repeating mistakes made in previous years,” José de la Rosa, centre coordinator of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which administers the nation’s heritage, told IPS.

There are some 30,000 archaeological sites in Mexico, which attract 70 million visitors a year. Many of the ruins, like Chichen Itzá, Palenque and Tulum, are close to the Caribbean coast, where the Mayan culture flourished hundreds of years ago.

In 2005, three hurricanes lashed these parts of Mexico, wreaking damages estimated at one million dollars at the historic sites. An archaeological museum in the resort of Cancún, in the southeast, was also seriously damaged.

Part of Cancún was flattened by hurricane Wilma, dealing a severe blow to the country’s tourist industry, as it derives a major part of its income from this resort.

According to official reports, hurricane Wilma caused damages of about 2.7 billion dollars in Cancún and surrounding areas. A large part of that amount represented damage done to the luxury hotel zone.

The custodians of some of the historical sites met at a Jun. 13-14 workshop in Mexico City on disaster prevention and the protection of culturally significant goods affected by disasters.

The meeting formed part of INAH’s disaster prevention programme for cultural heritage, which got underway in 2000.

De la Rosa said that this year, INAH has paid five million dollars in insurance premiums for coverage against all risks arising from natural phenomena.

Among the preventive measures already being taken is the pruning of trees at archaeological sites, so that their branches will not be torn off by high winds. Access roads have been cleared, and special materials are ready at hand to cover up ancient murals in severe storms.

Furthermore, all the museums have been instructed as to how to secure their windows and access zones, and how to check their drainage systems.

If a hurricane strikes, several brigades will swing into action. Their mission is to put what pieces they can into safe storage, and hand over custody of the archaeological sites to soldiers.

The prevention, safeguarding and restoration phases of all INAH’s strategies in the event of a natural disaster will be coordinated with the National Civil Protection System, the National Meteorological Service and the Red Cross, among other organisations..

The museums, historical buildings and archaeological sites spread over much of the country are a major source of revenues. Cultural tourism brings in some 2.5 billion dollars a year.

Mexico has 24 World Heritage sites, listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).