Costa Rica involved in drill
testing tsunami warning


Costa Rica is among the Pacific Rim countries that are participating in the staged tsunami drill, “Exercise Pacific Wave 08.” The drill started Tuesday and involves two days of testing the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System, a network to promote the exchange of seismic and sea level data for rapid tsunami detection. 

With the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster providing a stark reminder of the need for preparedness, the tsunami test will be the second of such exercises, the first conducted in May 2006, according to the United Nation's  Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

Countries are required to make decisions and take preliminary steps short of alerting the public, thus testing current warning systems and helping to identify operational strengths and weaknesses in each country, the U.N. said.

According to the scenario, a powerful earthquake located off Japan’s northeast coast generated the simulated major tsunami spreading in real time across the entire Pacific, taking 24 hours to reach the coast of South America.

During this activity, bulletins are being issued by the tsunami advisory and warning centers in Tokyo, Japan, and Hawaii and Alaska in the United States, and sent to focal points responsible for tsunami response in the countries concerned.

While in reality only a subset of countries would be affected by a real-life tsunami, all have been encouraged to take part in the drill as it is the Pacific region that is struck by the most frequent and destructive tsunamis, said the U.N..

Other participants in the tsunami drill include Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, El Salvador, France (French Polynesia and New Caledonia), Nicaragua, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Niue, Peru, Russian Federation, Samoa, Singapore, Republic of Korea, Thailand, the United States, the island of Yap, and the Federation of Micronesia.

Security minister backs
integral, humanistic approach


Central America has to position itself as a region that bets on combating violence by means of prevention, changing the repressive vision for an integral and humanistic concept of security that seeks the rescue of its youth, said the security minster Tuesday.

The minister, Janina del Vecchio, was speaking to ministers from Costa Rica and other governments in the region at a conference discussing children at risk.

Ms. del Vecchio supported development of programs against family violence, trafficking of persons and those that promote human rights. She also said she wanted to be taught in the school system and in the communities how to fight against the use of illegal drugs. She heads the Ministerio de Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública.

Marine law sent back
to legislative committee


A legislative proposal to revise the law governing marinas went back to a committee for at least 22 days Tuesday.

The original draft contained at least three sections that were believed to be unconstitutional. Most dealt with sidestepping environmental regulations.

The Comisión de Consultas de Constitucionalidad will study the proposal and try to iron out legal defects.

The law promoted by the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo would update the regulations involving marina development in the coastal zones.

New food proposal on agenda


The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization wants to increase the production of basic grains by 60 percent in the region by the use of more productive seeds. This will be one of the proposals presented to agricultural officials at the  XVIII Cumbre Iberoamericana that starts today in San Salvador.

The U.N. agency will be seeking $12 million in donations from the countries involved to carry out this plan. The idea is to produce more because of anticipated shortages in the world supply of food.