EMI's Urban Mitigation Program

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Disaster risk and its management In the context
of local government
Session 1World Bank Institute Fouad
Bendimerad, Ph.D., P.E
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Who is impacted by disasters

• Everyone
• The poor will see the chances they may have had
  to come out of poverty become even dimmer.
  Disasters seek out the poor and make sure they
  remain poor
• Children, the old and the less-privileged
  elements of society suffer long-term losses
• A portion of the middle class instantly
  becomes poor because it loses its means for
  well-being
• Small businesses and family enterprises often
  sustain catastrophic losses

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Cost of disasters

• In the decade from 1990 to 1999, close to 2
  billion people have been affected by disasters
  worldwide with a median loss of about 50
  billion.
• An average of 100,000 people lose their lives
  every year from disasters.
• Average cost has increased six-fold in the last
  30 years and could reach 300 billion per year by
  2030.

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Cost of disasters in the developingworld

• Disasters disproportionably impact developing and
  least developed countries compared to developed
  countries
• 97 of the deaths
• 10-times the loss (as measured by GDP)
• Recovery is immeasurably longer
• Badly needed infrastructure is demolished
• Development is pushed back (Resources are
  divertedfrom basic services and from development
  projects towards reconstruction)
• The poor are most impacted and human suffering
  becomesmore pervasive

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Unsustainable development unsustainable risk

• Disasters are not natural phenomena they are the
  direct results of development
• Unsustainable development has increased exposure
  to natural hazards due to
• Increased of concentration of population in
  hazardous areas
• Increased vulnerability of the built environment
  due to shoddy andillicit construction
• Increased fragility of socio-economic systems due
  to inappropriatedevelopment practices and
  environmental mismanagement
• Unprepared populations and institutions
• Social destitution and social injustice
• Together these correlated factors create a trend
  of increasing societal susceptibility and
  diminishing resilience.

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Stunning urban demographics

• In 1950, 18 of the developing world lived in
  cities by 2030, this percentage will increase to
  60
• In 2002, the developing world had 15 cities with
  population greater than 8 million people
• In 2010, 8 out of 10 largest cities will be in
  the developing world, including Mexico City,
  Dhaka, Mumbai, Lagos
• Many of these cities are located in
  earthquake-prone areas, tropical cyclone tracks
  and flood-prone areas

Million
Earthquake Threatened Population
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Earthquake risk to megacities

• About 70 of the largest cities in the world can
  expect a strong earthquake on average once every
  50 years
• Cities like Istanbul, Dhaka, Manila, Cairo,
  Mexico City, Kathmandu, Bogotá, Algiers and many
  others are threatened by earthquakes
• An earthquake in these cities would cause a
  catastropheof unparalleled proportions

Earthquakes constitute the most disastrous hazard
and the largest challenge for preparation and
mitigation
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Recent major urban earthquakes
Earthquake People killed Financial damage
Tangshan, China 1975 250,000
Kobe, Japan 1995 6,000 120 billion
Izmit, Turkey, 1999 19,000 10 billion
Gujarat, India, 2001 18,000 3billion
Boumerdes, Algeria 2,300 5 billion
Bam, Iran 45,000 ??
Northridge, USA, 1994 57 dead 46billion
Developed countries have been able to control
life loss from earthquakes by improving
construction and land-use practices and raising
awareness.
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Losses from disasters

• Direct material losses Property, crops,
  infrastructure,lifelines, livestock, and
  critical facilities
• Human Losses Death, injury, population
  displacement, long term trauma.
• Environmental Losses Deforestation, hazardous
  material release.
• Weakening of institutions and disturbance of
  social structures.
• Reduction of economic and human potential of
  society Exacerbated poverty, impaired small
  business and industry, disabled lifelines and
  infrastructure.
• Diversion of funds from development and from
  socialservices.

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Impediments to disaster risk reduction (DRR)

• Factor No. 1 Lack of mechanisms to mainstream
  disaster risk reduction within institutional
  functions and missions
• DRR takes place when it is inherently embedded in
  the day-to-day functions and mission of every
  single institution of the local government
• Through targeted policies, organizational changes
  and awareness raising, local governments can
  progressively mainstream DRR in day-to-day
  practice of its institutions.

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Impediments to disaster risk reduction (cont.)

• Factor No. 2 Rigid bureaucratic structures that
  are not suited for cross-organizational
  cooperation and integration
• DRR involves integration of knowledge from
  several disciplines Urban planning, building and
  construction, earth science, environmental
  science, sociology, finance, law, etc.
• DRR involves exchange of information and
  practices across institutions and across sectors
  of the local government
• Further, DRR require acquisition of new and
  specialized expertise
• Hence, the implementation of DRR requires
  flexibility in structures and mechanisms for
  sharing knowledge and information.

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Impediments to disaster risk reduction (cont.)

• Factor No. 3 Lack of capacity and inefficient
  use of resources
• Local governments usually lack capacity to
  understand risks and implement DRR
• Existing community and social resources are often
  inefficiently used (e.g., universities,
  professional organizations, etc.)
• Local governments must seek partnerships and find
  resources among the active agents of the
  community.
• Factor No. 4 Lack of knowledge of disaster risk
  factors and options for disaster risk reduction
• Most often local governments and communities do
  not understand the risk parameters of their
  environment and the DRR options available to them.

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Impediments to disaster risk reduction (cont.)

• Factor No. 5 Lack of awareness on the part of
  institutions and civil society, which relegates
  disaster risk reduction among public policy
  priorities
• In front of competing priorities for resources,
  DRR often gets low attention
• Lack of awareness by communities and the general
  public inhibits social pressure on government
• Public policy requires the development of a
  common agenda, leadership,and advocacy.

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Disasters in the context of local government

• Local government is aware of community issues and
  its own potential
• Local government knows the stakeholders and their
  agenda
• Local Government understands the cultural
  intricacies
• Local Government is in charge of providing
  services, and in particular urban planning,
  construction permits, transportation,health care
• Local Government is part of the first
  responders

The importance of decentralization of disaster
risk management has yet to be fully recognized
and systematically applied in developing
countries.
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The importance of decentralization

• When decision-making and resources are
  concentrated at the central level, local
  governments cannot effectively undertake disaster
  management.

• The lack of local authority on disaster
  management de-links land-use planning, urban
  settlement and construction control from risk
  reduction efforts, and thus further exacerbates
  the vulnerabilities of communities.
• Decentralization is necessary in order to build
  local capacity

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In sum
Disaster risk mitigation is not

• A central governments problem or a local
  governments problem.
• An academicians problem or a politicians
  problem.
• A citizens problem or a destiny problem.

Disaster risk management is

• A national issue for each country.
• The responsibility of all the active agents of a
  countrys society.
• A concern to each community.