Mexico floods: Quick response, not enough disaster prevention

Tropical storm Manuel brought 24 inches of rain and landslides to the southern Pacific Coast of Mexico while in the same time Hurricane Ingrid hit the Gulf Coast. As death tolls are rising, many question whether the country's disaster prevention measures are adequate, and how could the situation be improved for the future, reports The Christian Science Monitor.

“Acapulco is a symbol of the lack of urban planning and the absence of a culture of preventing disasters,” Gerardo Esquivel, professor at the Colegio de México, said via Twitter.

“What [the public] wants are prompt and efficient responses,” instead of prevention, says Federico Estévez, political science professor at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico. “We’re fatalistic in the country and like to believe that in the heavens the dice are loaded against us.” He adds that most media and government attention is focused on emergency relief – not how the devestation could have been prevented.

As mayors are elected only for three years, flood prevention or improving storm sewers are not attractive projects, as these would require longer times to finish. Corruption, home construction and not well designed urban development further hinder disaster prevention efforts.