Living with Risk: The need to build partnerships

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INSTITUTIONALIZING DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
Building a Local Government Alliance for
Disaster Risk Reduction - Consultative
Meeting Barcelona, 22-23 May, 2008
CEDRIC D. DAEPAlbay Public Safety Emergency
Management Office Province of Albay, Philippines
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Province of Albay
CONTEXT
Located in the Southern part of Luzon about
500 kilometers SSE Of Manila Philippines.
It is geo-graphically located within the ring of
fire and the typhoon belt region
Bicol Region
Philippines
Mayon Volcano
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Disaster Risk and Vulnerability PROFILE TRENDS

• 19 to 21 occurrences of typhoon per year in the
  Philippines of which 3-5 hit the Province of
  Albay.
• About 198,000 houses threatened by wind
  destructions and at least 350,000 people have to
  evacuate.
• Mayon Volcano Eruption threats 3 cities and 5
  municipalities
• 127 villages or 11,000 to 12,000 families
  threatened by landslides
• About 300,000 population out of 1.2M threatened
  by tsunami
• Eight municipalities and two cities threatened by
  floods.

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WHAT has been done so far to address the issue?

• Institutionalized Provincial Disaster Management
  Office and the Provincial Disaster Operation
  Center
• Established Early Warning System, Communication
  Protocol and Evacuation Procedures at the
  community level.
• Organized Local DCCs and redefined the functional
  roles and responsibilities of the DCC members and
  task unitsEstablished Policy on Operational
  Control and Protocol
• Hazard awareness through Community-Based
  trainings and seminars
• DRR integration to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan

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What have been the GOOD PRACTICES

• Institutionalization of the Albay PDMO now APSEMO
• Community-Based Early Warning System,
  Communication Protocol and Evacuation Procedures
• Good working relationship between APSEMO, Warning
  Agencies and the Local Media
• Established Disaster Operation Center as the hub
  of action and the center of emergency
  coordination and communication

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The Guiding Principles

• Institutional not personality oriented
• Permanent Solution not Temporary
• Early evacuation is better than rescue
• Disaster Proofing approach
• -CLUP Disaster Risk Reduction
• -No or selective investment in High Risk Zone
• -Maximum Protection in the low to moderate
  risk zone
• -Safe zone as the site for the new
  development
• Investments

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and the LESSONS LEARNED

• LGU as the first line of defense
• Warning Equipment is vital in saving life
• Without communication support warning and
  evacuation fails
• Early warning and evacuation system Zero
  Casualty
• Pre-positioned organic resource capabilityquick
  response
• Building-back better not building-back-elsewhere
• DRR measures Economic Investments

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and the LESSONS LEARNED

• Help must be linked to initiative. Protracted
  relief could breed mendicancy, stunt local
  initiative and suppress native creativity
• Demand driven vs. donors driven
• Disaster Risk Reduction Plan must be considered
  basic input in the Regional Development Master
  Plan
• Rehabilitation should be pursued in the context
  of development strategy

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What are the CHALLENGES ahead?

• Uncertainty lessons learned
• Short-term thinking multi-hazard approach and
  hazard assessment and contingency plan be done
  every after a calamity
• Complexity data base and information readiness
• Institutional Structure need to promote and
  sustain better institution of LGUs
• Financing frameworks need to integrate DRR
  budget to the regular appropriations

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and HOW to address them?

• Political leadership not political will
• Multi-stakeholder approach
• Legislative support from the national and local
  government
• Established implementing guidelines in
  integrating DRR to the CLUP
• Technical assistance to the Local Government
  Units
• DRR must be an integral part in planning and
  programming of the local authorities.

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CONLUSIONS
DRR is global, Institutionalized and is a
way of life
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Thank You