After the attack, get up to rebuild better 2023/11/02

In October 1997, Pauline It hit Guerrero communities hard and, mainly, the bay of Acapulco, leaving serious damage to infrastructure, communication routes and electricity and telecommunications services, as well as an estimated death toll of 300 people. Before Otisthis category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale had been the most aggressive.

Almost 16 years later, in September 2013, tropical storm Manuel surprised the coastal city with several days of heavy rain and flooding that left significant damage and hundreds of homes practically buried under water.

Although it is still too early to calculate the damage caused by Otis, the images of the city, with hundreds of homes, tourist complexes, businesses and various buildings that were left in ruins; as well as the conditions in which the affected people find themselves, many still without access to the most basic services, such as water, shelter and food, allow us to anticipate the dimension of the blow.

The need to strengthen prevention plans and civil protection protocols, not only in that coastal region, but also in all of the country, is, more than evident, prevailing. Years of history of attacks on the coastal areas of Mexico have shown us that our country is not prepared to face the intensity of climatic phenomena that, derived from the increase in temperature on the planet and the effects of climate change, will continue to manifest themselves more and more. more aggressive.

While it is true that it is impossible to predict the level of devastation that a natural phenomenon will generate in a territory, it is also a reality that the more prepared you are to receive it and the more effective the action plans, the fewer human and material losses. there may be.

Acapulco is a city that has given a lot to Mexicans, not only because it is one of the places of which, I dare to assure, almost all of us have good memories, but it is also because of its contribution to the country's economy, because Although there are currently other destinations such as Cancun and the Riviera Maya, to mention some tropical areas that compete, since its consolidation as an international destination, the coastal city of Guerrero has made important contributions to the Mexican Gross Domestic Product.

According to study data Tourism and environment: the case of Acapulcofrom El Colegio de México (Juan Manuel Ramírez Sáiz1987), at its peak, this tourist destination came to provide more foreign currency than any other, with 42% of a total of 101,433 million pesos in 1979, which even exceeded the foreign currency earned by oil in that year. .

Therefore, it is time to join efforts for the recovery of this destination that will have to start practically from scratch and where, today, the priority is to support the population with food, water and shelter, but where, later, the great challenge will be reconstruction of homes, schools, health and commerce institutions, the reactivation of tourist services and roads. That is to say, a broad task is expected to which all Mexicans can contribute from our possibilities.