Preventive Resettlement of Populations at Risk of Disaster - GFDRR

Since all the professionals had participated in the cases
studied, the work consisted of reviewing existing information
and documents, which they supplemented with
their own first-hand experiences. Primary information
was not compiled.
The risk management experts analyzed disaster trends,
globally and in Latin America, and developed the conceptual
framework and technical processes for defining
resettlement as a disaster risk-reduction measure.
Another team that included the same coordinator and
two professionals familiar with resettlement analyzed
the findings and established the outline for the Resettlement
Guide for Populations at Risk of Disaster, prepared
in 2009-2010.
Although the participants agreed on the broad outlines
of the content and scope of the studies, the pace at
which they materialized differed due to various reasons.
First, each resettlement program was conceived according
to each country’s strategies and premises. Second,
the information needed had not been systematically
compiled, so the professionals had to collect it and
sometimes the data required were not available. Third,
the resettlement processes were conducted within different
time frames and, as some were still under way,
their outcomes had not yet been evaluated. Finally, the
professionals’ profiles differed, and they also performed
different functions: some were managers or coordinators,
while others were field experts or evaluators. All of
these factors were reflected in the studies.
However, the evaluation of conducting the studies was
positive. Although it became impossible to maintain the
methodological rigor envisaged at the start, the experiences
were documented and important lessons were
drawn for potential replication in other countries.
Chapter 2 Resettlement as a Disaster Risk Reduction Measure: Case Studies
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