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Summary

In the year 2000, former US President Bill Clinton initiated Project Impact through the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in response to the devastation caused by hurricanes Georges and Mitch in six Central American and Caribbean countries. Originally employed in the US, Project Impact aimed to enhance community resilience to natural disasters by fostering collaborations between the private and public sectors. Implemented in fourteen communities across Haiti, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, the project selected initiatives to reduce disaster vulnerability and protect private sector assets. Seed funds, combined with private sector contributions, facilitated numerous projects that proved effective in minimizing disaster damages. This initiative not only benefited the participating countries but also served as a model for similar community-based mitigation efforts involving both sectors in Latin America.