sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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Box I.3
MAINSTREAMING DISASTER-RISK REDUCTION INTO PUBLIC INVESTMENT DECISIONS
IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Since the turn of the century, disaster-risk reduction has been an essential component of public investment systems
in the region. In addition to its primary function, it has served to ensure that public funds are used efficiently and in
such a way as to promote sustainability and equity.
In <strong>20</strong>00, Peru set up the National Public Investment System, which paved the way for incorporating
disaster risk reduction in the public investment system. The success of this initiative is attributable to a number of
factors including standardized concepts and appraisal methodologies, the participation of government stakeholders
of different levels and from different departments, the training of 900 professionals, the implementation of new
standards and instruments and the <strong>development</strong> of a long-term investment vision. By <strong>20</strong>08, as many as 72,000
projects had been approved. Following the success of the Peruvian experience, Costa Rica adopted a similar
initiative in <strong>20</strong>07.
In Latin America, some 80% of disaster-related losses are reported to occur in urban areas. Integrating
disaster risk reduction in public investment decisions and in urban <strong>development</strong> agendas is therefore key for
reducing risk and preventing loss of life and assets when weather-related disasters strike. According to estimates
carried out in Mexico and Colombia, it would cost four times as much to reconstruct and repair damaged
infrastructure than to take the necessary risk-reduction measures in the area of land-use planning and better
construction codes. Corrective measures such as retrofitting or relocating are more expensive but could result in
40% fewer deaths. Social protection is another innovative mechanism for preserving community and household
assets during and following a disaster. Chile and Nicaragua have successfully adopted social protection measures,
such as cash transfers, to reduce vulnerability of households in times of disaster. Over 114 million people in Latin
America alone benefit from similar social protection programmes and these may be adapted at relatively low cost to
effectively boost the resilience of communities and households, thereby reducing the need for humanitarian aid in
the aftermath of a disaster.
The value of disaster risk management as a policy initiative is growing even at the local level. Currently,
about 80 local government units are active members in the <strong>20</strong>10-<strong>20</strong>11 campaign entitled “Making cities resilient:
My city is getting ready”, launched by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) (see
[online] http://www.unisdr.org/english/campaigns/campaign<strong>20</strong>10-<strong>20</strong>11/). The campaign was implemented to unite
cities in building better awareness and commitment in order to promote <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> practices with a
view to reducing future disaster risks and boosting disaster preparedness. The members of the campaign have access
to the ten-point check-list to help them monitor their progress in disaster risk management. These points are aligned
with local indicators in order to highlight local progress.
Source: International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), <strong>20</strong>11 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: Revealing
Risk, Redefining Development [online] http://www.preventionweb.net/english/hyogo/gar/<strong>20</strong>11/en/home/ download.html;
Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready. <strong>20</strong>10-<strong>20</strong>11 World Disaster Reduction Campaign, Geneva.
The Hyogo Framework for Action <strong>20</strong>05-<strong>20</strong>15: Building the Resilience of Nations and
Communities, endorsed by all the Governments of the region, is the first international agreement that
outlines the work different actors and sectors will need to do in order to reduce disaster-related losses. It
seeks to strengthen risk management and institutional and legal frameworks as well as the mechanisms
that support them (ISRD, <strong>20</strong>11a). Since the adoption of this framework, various regional platforms have
been established, including the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas for
furthering implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action. These platforms have served to
underscore the need to strengthen coordination between the different levels of government (national,
subnational and local) in implementing disaster risk reduction actions and in promoting adaptation to
climate change. A holistic, <strong>sustainable</strong>-<strong>development</strong> approach is viewed as essential for boosting
<strong>development</strong> management, biodiversity, fragile ecosystems and water resource management and for
reducing vulnerability to different types of threat, in particular, environmental degradation.