El Salvador - GFDRR

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V. RISK MANAGEMENT
A. PROFILE OF DISASTER RISKS
The number of disasters generated by events of natural origin in El Salvador has increased exponentially
in the past decade. During 1997–2007 there were 21 events, representing 53% the disasters that have
occurred in 100 years; of these 21 events, 5 (23%) are of geological origin and 16 (76%) are of hydrometeorological
origin. According to D-SNET, the direct economic losses associated with destructive events
in the last 20 years have meant nearly US$4 billion for the country (with this amount of money, 33,000
basic schools or 298 regional hospitals, or about 25 ports such as that of Cutuco, could have been
constructed); all of this without counting indirect losses, increases in public spending and increases in the
fiscal deficit, which must then be compensated through tough fiscal austerity measures, in addition to
the direct expenses of emergency assistance and the opportunity cost of investing in reconstruction rather
than greater development. Among other things, disasters generate disproportionate losses and damages
to the population, including human lives, family disintegration, and damages to physical, mental and
moral integrity in adults and children. 49
Approximately 41 of each 100 Salvadorans reside in high-risk municipalities, that is, those localities
that have been affected by three or four natural threats between 1980 and 2007 (earthquakes, floods,
storms or droughts), and that account for 74% of deaths in El Salvador due to some type of disaster.
During this period, there was an average of 1.5 disasters per year. This indicates that the national development
process is affected by the recurrence and impact of adverse natural events on El Salvador’s society
and economy, on an ongoing basis. 50
In addition, based on the Disaster Risk Index (DRI), 51 it may be inferred that, of the 100% of nation’s
population exposed to floods, earthquakes and storms, 23.3% risk the likelihood of death. At partial level,
the methodological application of floods shows a DRI result of 4%, which means that, of the exposed
population, for each 100 people, 4 are at risk of death in the threat of a flood. In turn, earthquakes show
a DRI result of 15.5%, which means that, of the exposed population, for each 100 people, nearly 16 are
at risk of death in an earthquake in El Salvador.
In the majority of events evaluated in the past, El Salvador’s territory, prior to the disaster, was already
in precarious, critical or conflict conditions due to internal or external reasons. Thus, the disasters only
49
Technical report on the impact of the low-pressure system en the Pacific and Tropical Storm Ida, November 2009, Ministry
of Environment and Natural Resources, General Bureau of the National Territorial Studies Service.
50
Draft of the First National Report on the Status of Disaster Risks and Vulnerability in El Salvador (INER 2009), D-SNET-
UNDP.
51
Carmona, Omar. Disaster Risk and Risk Management Indicators (IDB, 2007).