El Salvador - GFDRR
El Salvador - GFDRR
El Salvador - GFDRR
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
II. POPULATION AND AFFECTED AREAS | 83<br />
The following is an estimate of the physical damages to road infrastructure caused by the disasters,<br />
and losses or increases in vehicular operating costs—incurred by users and subsector companies—as a<br />
result of the unavailability of road assets that were totally or partially affected and unusable, during the<br />
period in which they will be not be in service. In this regard, the value of damages was estimated according<br />
to the cost of replacing the affected roads at their same level of quality and efficiency.<br />
a) Background<br />
The institutional qualification of <strong>El</strong> <strong>Salvador</strong>’s roads distinguishes the following networks: special, primary,<br />
secondary and tertiary. The first corresponds to a part of the old main roads that, due to enormous<br />
demands, were expanded to highways with two separate routes, two lanes each; the primary network<br />
corresponds to roads that connect to provincial capitals and also connect provincial capitals with the<br />
national capital, ports and borders; secondary roads connect to municipal capitals and also connect these<br />
capitals with the primary network; and the tertiary network consists of local or country roads.<br />
All of the above roads are the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP). Road conservation<br />
is the responsibility of the Road Conservation Fund (Fondo de Conservación Vial), an autonomous agency<br />
with resources granted by law that stem from the specific tax on fuel.<br />
Most of the background information used in the preparation of this report came from the work<br />
conducted by an MOP team. Background information on land was obtained in situ by MOP specialized<br />
personnel.<br />
The following were also considered: background information from direct observations of various affected<br />
areas and individual road points; consultations with experienced professionals or those who have<br />
participated in similar analytical processes; and operators of the mass transportation of goods and people.<br />
Damages mostly correspond to bridge collapses and to the destabilization of embankments, as well<br />
as to erosion, landslides, cave-ins, sinking and settling of pavement, among the main adverse consequences.<br />
b) Damage Estimate<br />
Costs were estimated by separately analyzing each physical damage and then assessing the respective<br />
replacement costs. The results obtained are presented in Table 30.<br />
Addressing the damages expressed in the table corresponds to rehabilitation, except for bridges, most<br />
of which must be completely reconstructed (in this regard, see Recovery Needs in Chapter VI).<br />
It is worth noting that the figure in the table includes emergency expenditures since these cannot be<br />
separated from replacement because a large share of the expenditures made immediately after the phenomenon<br />
include both items.<br />
Of the total cost, US$32 million correspond to the foreign component (imported materials required<br />
for reconstruction).