INTEGRATING CLIMATE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION INTO URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

Interview with Dr. Alberto Maturana Palacios from Chile

Dr. Alberto Maturana Palacios, a surgeon, has vast expertise in emergency & disaster planning and the organisation of national systems. He has gained an international reputation within the government and United Nations specilaised agencies. From 1994 to 2006 he chaired the Chilean National Emergency Office of the Ministry of Interior (ONEMI) where he led the National Training Programme in Civil Protection and led a vigorous programme of modernisation of this institution as National Coordinator for the Chilean Civil Protection System, becoming the World Dean of International and National Directors in the area. During that period he was the founder and first President of the Interamerican Development Bank Disaster Network and the founder and first Chairman of the IberoAmerican Association of Governmental Organisations for Civil Protection and Defense (23 countries).Dr. Maturana has been a consultant to various international organisations such as the World Bank,UNDP, IDB and OCHA. Between 2004 and 2009 he served as Advisor to the Ministry of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, where he was responsible for the annual training programme in Emergency and Disaster.

Why should DRR be integrated into Latin American, Asia and African cities development planning? There are several factors that make mandatory the integration of DRR in their development planning: extreme vulnerability due to over-population, poverty, mega cities, urban concentration, and overexploitation of their natural resources are the main factors. What major climate change and disaster vulnerabilities exist in Chilean cities? The Chilean territory is extremely long, going from the desert and sub tropical weather in Northern Chile (17 30S) to the freezing South Pole (90S). Separated from Argentina by the massive Andes mountain range to the West, and with a distance in excess of 8,000km of Pacific

Learning Alliance on Climate Resilient Cities Module 2 Disaster Risk Reduction

 Ocean between the main land and the Easter Island territory. That means great climate vulnerability! Our main vulnerability is being the country with the biggest earthquakes in human history and our long, long territory, that makes coordination and humanitarian assistance a main task. Have city level risk assessments been conducted in Chilean cities? In terms of government initiatives, this has been done very poorly. Most actions have been academic and through NGOs. Recently, in response to the earthquake and tsunami that took place on February 27, 2010, Chilean local authorities have initiated planning on the subject. We are still waiting on a Civil Protection Law, that could include DRR and Climate Change. This has been a long-time sleeping initiative in the Congress! The main shortcoming is the lack of a Chilean State Policy that assign priority to this subject. That involves budgeting, planning and action. What major challenges do Chilean cities faced in terms of integrating climate change and disaster risk policies into city planning and city management? The other main vulnerability is extreme isolation. Compartmentalisation and lack of government coordination in major cities due to overlapping executive capacity between agencies (Ministry of Public Works, Housing, Interior (Home Office), Environment etc.). What types of institutional changes are required to make Chilean cities more responsive at the local level to climate change and disaster risk? 1) Assign priority to the subject in national and local policies 2) The long-awaited Civil Protection Law in Congress could add a different scope and interest in the subject 3) Local authorities in main cities with enough executive capacity to coordinate and blend isolated initiatives into a single policy and responsibility Santiago de Chile, our capital city has more than 25 counties, and no central coordination by a Senior Mayor. The Governor is a political actor and our laws and regulations, as in most countries, give Mayors the responsibility of territory management. Some important climate events coming from the Andes Mountains (mudslides, avalanches, flooding, etc.) affect several communities, each of them with different planning and coordination. What key factors would help strengthen the institutional capacity of Chilean cities in delivering basic services and reducing vulnerability to climate and disaster risk? - A National Civil Protection Law (in discussion in Congress) - The National National Security Agency that this law creates in a new institutional framework . - A priority for State Policy on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction - More research and associated technology to improvement in Early Warning Systems related to weather and climate events

Learning Alliance on Climate Resilient Cities Module 2 Disaster Risk Reduction

How are communities and municipal governments in Chile working together to confront climate change and disaster risk? In Chile we have a National Association of Municipalities that works on several priority areas: education, poverty, environment, urban and rural planning. Unfortunately, climate change and DRR is not a priority on their agenda. Mayors always say the contrary, but a prevention agenda is not in their planning. The results, speak for themselves. Two weeks ago Santiago was affected by a rather unusual climate phenomenon, very uncommon in Chile this time of the year. We don't have tropical weather, so rain in February is strange. It affected the Andes mountains and several canyons that drain water over Santiago and nearby regions. The consequences included severe mudslides that destroyed potable water facilities, pipes, and as a result of the shortage in potable water more than 2 million people were affected in our capital city, Santiago and Aconcagua River Basin nearby. Santiago, Chile, has once again proven that it is extremely vulnerable to climate change. There is a public discussion in terms of huge hydro electrical projects in the same area. The flow of vehicles going and returning between Chile and Argentina was interrupted with thousands of travellers at both sides without shelter, food and water. I think this could be a good case study in terms of big city vulnerability and the associated problems that appear when triggered by a climatic event: the unpreparedness, lack of planning and coordination become the real problem! Santiago is a big city with more than 5 million people and we do not have a Senior Mayor responsible for the coordination of the 25 municipalities affected by the lack of water and several linked problems.

Learning Alliance on Climate Resilient Cities Module 2 Disaster Risk Reduction