Preventive Resettlement of Populations at Risk of Disaster - GFDRR

ecame active subjects in transforming their living conditions,
learned a trade, shared achievements and overcame
obstacles in order to build their residences.
Negotiating this strategy with both the financing agencies
and the provinces was a long and difficult task, as
there was no prior practical experience in the country
with assisted self-construction on the scale proposed or
with the geographical scope envisaged.
…That is why I think the most important thing was to prove
that this was a serious project, that it was going to have continuity
in time and that it was going to be coordinated by all
the participating entities: the province, the Housing Institute,
the municipality and the nation. I think that that was what
differentiated the project from others.
Ms. Graciela Pereyra, Mayor of Colonia Elisa, Chaco
As the financing agency, The World Bank expected the
housing component to be implemented within shorter
time-frames in order to meet the needs of families affected
by the emergency. It also promoted the idea of
delivering tents or using a uniform prefabricated housing
model for all inhabitants of the river basin. Further,
it wanted to avoid any possibility of patronage and corruption,
which resulted in long discussions during negotiations
for the Bank loan. Finally, the Bank accepted
the country’s position. In addition, representatives of
the provinces and local governments did not believe
they could rely on the beneficiaries to provide the labor,
and they thought this would involve a huge effort with
few results. Indeed, negotiating the strategy with The
World Bank and provinces delayed project implementation
by 10 months.
4. Flood Protection Program (PPI)
The following illustrates the experience with the housing
component of the (PPI) in seven provinces—Buenos
Aires, Chaco, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Misiones
and Santa Fe—on the banks of the Paraná, Paraguay
and Uruguay Rivers, in more than 120 locations with
varying degrees of urbanization, in an area of over 2,200
kilometers.
4.1 Cost and Sources of Financing
of the PPI
Initially, the Flood Protection Program was to cost
US$420 million, but because of the economic crisis
in Argentina as of 2001, that amount was reduced to
US$224.5 million, which was financed in large part by a
World Bank loan. Despite the reduced loan amount, the
32 Preventive Resettlement of Populations at Risk of Disaster: Experiences from Latin America