SuStainable Development unit n latin ameRiCa anD tHe CaRibbean 70120 Disaster Risk Management in Latin America and the Caribbean Region: GFDRR Country Notes Colombia COLOMBIA COUNTRIES AT HIGH ECONOMIC RISK FROM MULTIPLE HAZARDS (Top 33 Based on GDP with 3 or more hazards)a 1. Taiwan, China 3. Jamaica 4. El Salvador 5. Guatemala 7. Japan 8. Costa Rica 10. ColoMBIA 12. Chile 14. Turkey 15. Barbados 18. Ecuador 19. Venezuela 20. Peru 24. Honduras 27. Mexico a Dilley et al. (2005). Table 7.2. Colombia has the 10th highest economic risk to three or more hazards in the world, according to the Natural Disaster Hotspot study by the World Bank. Bogotá, Colombia Panama 80,000 COLOMBIA 70,000 Natural Disasters from 1980 - 2008b 60,000 43% Affected People 50,000 Economic Damages Major Disaster Impact (2000) Disaster Date 7% Affected 100.002% (Number of People) 40,000 Disaster Date Cost (US$ x 1,000) Earthquake* 1999 1,205,933 10% 30,000 Earthquake* 1999 1,857,366 Flood 2008 1,200,091 20,000 Volcano 1985 1,000,000 37% Flood Lack of Resilience (2007) 2007 1,162,135 50.00 Local Events (2006-8) 10,000 Earthquake* 1983 410,900 Flood 2005 474,607 0 Insect Inf. 1995 104,000 Flood 2007 443,173 Storm 1988 Flood 50,000Storm Flood 2004 Flood 345,386 Epidemic Earthquake Flood 2005 10,000 Flood 1986 Drought 250,000 Storm 0.00 Flood 1981 5,000 Flood 2006 221,465 Flood 1997 3,000 Flood 2004 186,096 Storm 1986 2,500 Socio-economic Fragility (2007) Flood 1996 180,000 Management Index Risk Earthquake* 1994 (2008)2,400 Disaster Statistics byColombia Typeb LCR 17 Average Exposure & Physical Susceptibility Economic Damages / Disaster Type (1000s US$) Population Affected by Disaster Type (2007) Panama 2,500,000 2,000,000 2% 2% 73% 1,500,000 1,000,000 23% 500,000 0 Flood Earthquake Drought Earthquake Insect Inf. Storm Volcano Storm Relative Vulnerability and Risk Indicatorsc Major Disaster Impact (2000) 100.00 Costa Rica Lack of Resilience (2007) 50.00 Local Events (2006-8) 400,000 350,000 0.00 300,000 2% 68% 250,000 200,000 Socio-economic Fragility (2007) 150,000 Risk Management Index (2008) 30% 100,000 50,000 LCR 17 Average 0 Storm Flood Earthquake Exposure & Physical Susceptibility Earthquake* Flood Storm Drought Colombia (2007) b UN (2009). http://www.preventionweb.net/english/countries/statistics/?cid=37. Source data from EM-DAT. Data displayed does not imply national endorsement. c Relative Vulnerability and risk Indicators are adapted from IADB-IDEA-ERN (2009). Values are normalized on scale of 0 – 100 and presented against the average for 17 LCR countries. Major disaster Impact taken from disaster deficit Index: the ratio of economic losses which a country could suffer during Ecuador a Maximum Considered event and its economic resilience. Local events taken from Local disaster Index: the propensity of a country to experience recur- rent, small-scale disasters and their cumulative impact on local development. risk Management Index is presented as the negative (i.e. 0 = optimal, 100 = incipient) of IADB’s risk Management Index: measures a country’s risk management capability in (i) risk identification, (ii) risk reduction, (iii) disaster 2,000,000 management, and (iv) financial protection. resilience, Fragility and exposure are taken from the component indices of Prevalent Vulnerability Index. Date for local event data depends on information available for each country. Data, and the respective LCR 17 average, from 2000 is used for Dominican Re- public, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica and Nicaragua. Data, and the 1,500,000 LCR 17 average, from 2006-08 is used for Bolivia, Colombia, Costa respective 3% 63% Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru. All LCR 17 averages are calculated based on available data. 1,000,000 33 20% 500,000 Major Disaster Impact (2000) Disaster Risk Management in Latin America and the Caribbean Region: GFDRR Country Notes DISASTeR RISk pRoFIle Floods and landslides Colombia has the 10th highest economic risk to large parts of Colombia’s territory are susceptible three or more hazards in the world, according to flooding, especially in the lower basins and to the Natural Disaster Hotspot study by the valleys of the principal rivers: the Magdalena, World Bank. 84.7% of Colombia’s population and Cauca, Sinnu, Atrato, and Putumayo. These regions are 86.6% of its assets are located in areas exposed susceptible to flooding, as demonstrated by the area’s to two or more natural hazards.2 The exposure is topography and previous events that have occurred. to both low-frequency/high-impact events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruption, and an occasional landslides are the most frequently occurring Atlantic hurricane, and to high-frequency but lower- disasters in the country. These are most impact events, such as floods and landslides. Climate frequently attributed to hydrological change is already thought to exacerbate flooding and phenomena. The main causes stem from the landslides in large parts of the country. softening of the ground from heavy rains and the flooding of bodies of water. The Natural Disaster Hotspot study by the World Bank4 indicates that Colombia has the highest landslide risk in the South geological Hazards American region, in terms of the number of fatalities per year per square kilometer. Most of Colombia, including all major urban areas, is located in zones of high or very high seismic activity. Colombia is situated on the confluence of three tectonic plates—the Nazca Plate, Determinants of Vulnerability to the Caribbean Plate, and the South American plate— Adverse Natural events in Colombia and is traversed by various geological fault lines: the Romeral fault line, Cauca and Magdalena, and Rapidly increasing urban population has Palestina and Frontal de la Cordillera Oriental.3 concentrated exposure to adverse natural events. As is the case in most Latin American countries, There are six very active volcanoes in Colombia Colombia has seen a large increase in its urban distributed along the central mountain range of the population in the last fifty years. From 1950 to 2005, country. The six active volcanoes are: Nevado de Ruiz, the percentage of Colombia’s population living in urban Galeras, Dona Juana, Purace, Tolima, and Huila. Galera areas increased from 39% to 73%5, and it is projected and Huila have had eruptions in the last five years causing that by 2020, 80% of the population, or approximately severe damages and forcing significant evacuations. 43 million people, will live in cities. This trend will bring with it important economic, social, and environmental challenges.6 In Colombia, the seven most important cities house 40% of the country’s households and 60% 2 Dilley et al. (2005). Table 7.2. 3 IADB-IDEA (2004). 4 Dilley et al. (2005). 5 Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (2005). 6 Departamento Nacional de Planeación (2006). 34 CoLoMbiA of total household income.7 The biggest city is by far weak. Only a few of these plans have implemented the Bogotá, accounting for 18% of households and 30% of management and financial tools made available by the the nation’s household income generation. legislation. For most, the relation between the POTs and the Municipal Development Plans is not very clear. Unplanned urban growth has disproportionately The Government of Colombia is working to change the increased Colombia’s vulnerability to adverse perception of the POTs so that they are understood natural events. Most Colombian cities have followed an as a valuable tool for long-term planning and not just unplanned growth pattern. Some of the most important another document to comply with. challenges in urban areas include: the predominance of unplanned expansions, a sharp increase in informal settlements, lack of adequate construction practices, environmental degradation, poor transport infrastructure, DISASTeR RISk MANAgeMeNT and a lack of adequate public spaces. FRAMeWoRk Informal settlements are a physical and spatial Colombia is widely considered a leader in manifestation of poverty and inequality in cities. instituting a policy and legal framework that According to the latest census conducted in 2005, in enables a comprehensive, multi-sectoral four of Colombia’s main cities, 18% of the residential area approach to disaster risk management. Colombia corresponds to informal settlements. These areas usually has built a National System for Disaster Management suffer from a lack of basic and social services and from and Prevention, articulated around a comprehensive prevalent unemployment. Currently close to 1.3 million National Disaster Prevention and Attention Plan. Since homes in the country are in this situation (affecting 16% the early 2000s, Colombia has decentralized disaster of the total urban families in Colombia). Of these homes, risk management responsibilities and made disaster 63% suffer from poor construction quality, and 20% are risk management a national development priority. located in high-risk areas. It has been estimated that 17% of homes are in such inadequate quality or high risk that it Under the presidency of �lvaro Uribe, the is not possible to retrofit them. government of Colombia has integrated disaster risk management into its development Colombia has made substantial progress plans. Chapter 5 of the National Development Plan through important urban reforms and 2006-2010 presents and describes the areas of comprehensive legislation on territorial actions for disaster risk management: (i) to develop planning,8 but implementation of these laws policies and strengthen institutions, (ii) to identify has been weak. For example, by 2005, eight years and monitor risk and to disseminate its knowledge, after the Territorial Planning Law # 388 passed in (iii) to reduce and prevent risk, and (iv) to reduce 1997, 97% of all the municipalities in the country and fiscal vulnerability using risk transfer instruments. every major city with more than 100,000 inhabitants These efforts need to continue to be supported and had adopted a Territorial Organization Plan (POT in enhanced to ensure long-term, effective disaster risk Spanish). The quality of the POTs varies substantially— management in Colombia. there are a few very high-quality plans, but most are 7 Including Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Bucaramanga, and Pereira. 8 Law 9 on Urban Reform, 1989, and Law 388 on Territorial Development, 1997. 35 Disaster Risk Management in Latin America and the Caribbean Region: GFDRR Country Notes Investments in disaster risk management, ACTIVITIeS UNDeR THe Hyogo including risk reduction, are done at three FRAMeWoRk FoR ACTIoN levels in Colombia involving the national government, departmental governments, and municipal governments. Significant investments are also carried out by the agencies dedicated to Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) infrastructure. Priority #1: policy, institutional capacity and consensus building for disaster risk For both hydrometeorological and geological management hazards, Colombia is probably the most densely monitored country in latin America. Colombia has built a National System for At the same time Colombian experts and Disaster Management and prevention, their graduate-level trainees in disaster risk articulated around a National Disaster management have played an important role in prevention and Attention plan. The system developing a knowledge base and a political (SNPAD in Spanish) has its mandate in Law 46 from space for disaster prevention. The country is a 1988 and includes both public and private agencies leader in such risk-reduction approaches and with responsibilities for risk mitigation and prevention measures as the introduction of building codes as well as emergency response and rehabilitation. The and enforcement, municipal programs, and the system is coordinated by the Directorate of Disaster integration of science and technology with public Prevention and Management presided over by the policy making. Minister of Government. Furthermore, the system has an operative arm coordinated by a National Operative In spite of great progress, the task remains Committee and a technical/scientific arm coordinated to address existing disaster risk through by the National Technical Committee. Vertically, corrective actions, while simultaneously the system has regional committees presided over improving planning processes to avoid by the provincial governors and local committees unreasonable accumulation of new presided by mayors. SNPAD is responsible for (a) vulnerability. For a country with more than 600 the prevention and mitigation of risk, (b) attention to declared natural disasters every year, this is a emergencies, and (c) the rehabilitation of territories daunting task that will require continued and affected by disasters. improved attention by the Colombian Government. Colombia, through its National System for Disaster Management and prevention, has For both hydrometeorological been a leader in instituting a policy and legal and geological hazards, Colombia framework that enables a comprehensive, is probably the most densely multi-sectoral approach to disaster risk management. The role of Colombian experts and monitored country in Latin graduate-level trainees in disaster risk management America. in the country has been important in this shift and in the effectiveness of this consolidated framework.9 The country is a leader in such risk reduction approaches 9 See resources under La Red at http://www.desinventar.org. 36 CoLoMbiA and measures as the introduction of building codes Despite great progress, the task remains to and enforcement, municipal programs, and the address existing disaster risk through corrective integration of science and technology with public actions, while simultaneously improving policy making. planning processes to avoid unreasonable accumulation of new vulnerability. This remains Since the early 2000s, Colombia has a difficult challenge and will require continued and decentralized disaster risk management improved attention by the Colombian Government. responsibilities and made disaster risk management a national development priority. In 2001, recognizing the high cost that disasters extract from local authorities and the need to HFA Priority #2: Disaster risk encourage investment in disaster mitigation, assessment and monitoring the national government created an investment category10 for disaster prevention and response Colombia has strengthened information in the list of investments permitted under the collection and analytic capacity for early national revenue-sharing system. According to Law warning and risk mapping related to 715/2001, Articles 76.5, 76.9, and 79, municipalities hydrological, seismic and volcano events. With can now elect to spend budgetary transfers on national budget and technical as well as financial disaster prevention and response. At the close support from the World Bank, the Colombian Institute of the Pastrana administration, a National Policy for Geology and Mining (Instituto Colombiano Statement11 (CONPES, 3146 of December, 2001) de Geología y Minería – INGEOMINAS) and the followed up on the earlier decree, raising disaster Colombian Institute for Hydrology, Meteorology vulnerability reduction to the level of national and Environment Studies (Instituto de Hidrología, development priority for the first time, and stipulating Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales de Colombia – its inclusion in the National Development Plan. IDEAM) have purchased and installed equipment to update existing systems for monitoring catastrophic one institutional challenge for Colombia is to events. The three regional volcanic observatories and resist pressures to fall back into an emergency the national earthquake monitoring network managed focus. To resist these pressures implies the need by INGEOMINAS are fully operational and provide to upgrade, integrate, and further consolidate the real-time information and early warnings also available National System for Disaster Management and via the Internet. IDEAM has recently modernized the Prevention. Though good work is being done in hydrometeorological monitoring network, installing most institutions in the system, technical capacity is close to 500 new automatic stations, in addition to a limiting factor in several institutions, particularly at the 2,500 existing conventional stations. This likely local levels, and institutional coordination remains positions Colombia as the most densely monitored a challenge. The World Bank, through a disaster country in Latin America. The new stations provide vulnerability reduction investment loan, is supporting real-time information on river levels and rainfall improved inter-institutional coordination and through satellite communication used with daily strengthening capacity building for risk management satellite imagery to provide early warnings on flooding, at local levels. forest fires land slides. Over the next three years, both 10 Indexing numbers in parentheses refer to the categories assigned in the DNP publication, “Sistema General de Participaciones— Informe de Ejecución Presupuestal Municipal Vigencia 2003.� 11 Consejo Nacional de Política Económica y Social (National Council of Social and Economic Policy, CONPES) are policy statements issued by the Departamento Nacional de Planeación (National Planning Department, DNP). 37 Disaster Risk Management in Latin America and the Caribbean Region: GFDRR Country Notes agencies will continue to update and expand their that future users can understand, adjust, and continue monitoring capacity seeking to enhance coverage by to evolve their tools as their needs change. an additional 5-10 percent. Colombia has improved and organized information and information flows for disaster HFA Priority #3: Use of knowledge, vulnerability, risk evaluation, and risk reduction innovation, and education to build a programs. At a national scale, risk maps for the culture of safety and resilience at all levels main river basins and for Galeras volcano have been updated. At the local level, earthquake risk maps have one of the reasons for Colombia’s relative been produced for more than 15 cities (including success in moving towards a proactive disaster Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and Manizales). Urban risk management institutional environment is landslide and flooding maps have been produced for the existence of a human capital base with the Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Bucaramanga. This appropriate technical training. There are at least information is publicly available and has been used 10 higher-education institutions in Colombia that for prioritizing investment in risk reduction, such as offer post-graduate training and specialization in risk relocating communities and retrofitting hospitals in management. At primary and secondary school levels, Bogota, conducting land planning and urban slope the curricula include concepts and good practices stabilization in Manizales, and protecting urban for risk management. The legal basis for the inclusion streams in Medellín. of disaster risk management in school curricula is the 1991 Constitution. The school curricula have gradually Colombia has worked to build a culture of risk been improved, in particular since the promulgation reduction through integration of disaster risk of the National Policy for Environmental Education management in education and research. DGR (2002). The Government of Colombia has developed has worked with Colciencia and the National System and implemented various tools and strategies to of Science and Technology (Sistema Nacional de train teachers and community leaders to incorporate Ciencia y Tecnología, SNCyT) to develop a strategy disaster risk management into the school curriculum. to strengthen science and technology for disaster risk management. The strategy was adopted in 2002. DGR has also worked with the Ministry of Education to include risk management into environmental education. HFA Priority #4: Reduction of the underlying risk factors (reduction of The National planning Department (DNp in exposure and vulnerability and increase of Spanish) is with support from the World Bank resilience) and financing from gFDRR working to develop decision making support tools based on Corrective action to address existing disaster probabilistic Risk Assessment platforms12. The risk is one of Colombia’s main disaster risk platform will help establish standards for sharing data challenges. Investments in risk reduction can and a common language for understanding risk. Initially involve both structural mitigation works, such as four tools will be developed for volcano, tsunami, flood seismic retrofitting, and nonstructural investments, and earthquake risk. The transparent nature of the such as relocating people from high-risk areas. models and open architecture of the platform ensure Most often these decisions should be made at a 12 http://ecapra.org. 38 CoLoMbiA decentralized level, as close as possible to the assets to the combination of legal responsibility, capacity and people at risk. Given that the legal responsibility and needs to invest in disaster risk reduction, the for disaster risk reduction has been placed with the larger municipalities in Colombia are currently a good municipalities and the relatively high quality of its entry point for promoting risk reduction investments. risk identification information, the basic conditions Both the Bogotá River Management Project then exist for municipalities to make significant and and the proposed Barranquilla Flood Mitigation efficient investments in disaster risk reduction. With Projects. GFDRR financing is playing an important such a high exposure to natural hazards, the political role for integration of disaster risk reduction in the challenge is to define the acceptable level of risk and Barranquilla project and thereby potentially will to finance the mitigation of the unacceptable risk. leverage significant amounts of additional resources for reducing disaster risk. Investments in disaster risk management, including risk reduction, are done at three levels Much work still needs to be done in terms in Colombia involving the national government, of building awareness and capacities among departmental governments, and municipal local governments in smaller municipalities. governments. Compared to the national government, One indicator of the status is that only 20% of municipalities invest a larger share of their total disaster municipalities reporting floods in the period from risk management budgets in preventive work. The 2004 to 2007 have invested in risk reduction highest volume of investments in risk reduction is also measures for flood protection in the same period. done by municipalities through their regular budgets. This is likely to be linked to a generally weak capacity for territorial planning. Although 97% of In addition to investments by the three levels of all municipalities in the country have adopted a core public administration, agencies dedicated Territorial Organization Plan (POT), the quality of to infrastructure also invest significantly in the POTs varies substantially—there are a few very risk reduction. The Colombian National Institute high-quality plans, but most are weak. Only a few for Roads (Instituto Nacional de Vías – INVIAS) is of these plans have implemented the management responsible for risk mitigation work related to roads, and financial tools made available by the legislation. ports, and riverine infrastructure. With financing For most, the relation between the POT and the from the World Bank, INVIAS invested more than Municipal Development Plans is not very clear. US$30 million in risk mitigation works in 2007 and Both the Ministry of Environment, Housing and US$35 million in 2008. The Colombian Oil Company Territorial Development (MAVDT) and the National (ECOPETROL) recently finalized a large program Directorate for Disaster Prevention and Management retrofitting all its critical installations to become (DGR) have active programs in building capacity seismic-resistant.13 and awareness among municipalities for disaster risk reduction and in integrating risk reduction with Most of the investments in risk reduction in the territorial and development planning processes Colombia at the municipal level are done by a which the Bank is supporting. These programs, handful of the larger municipal entities. This is supported by the World Bank through a loan with a logical consequence of the larger municipalities the National Government, will expand coverage to bearing most of the natural hazard exposure and reach up to 40% of municipalities in the country over possessing the capacity to address the issue. Due the next three years and thereby form the basis for 13 In accordance with the existing Colombian building code, all new construction must be seismic-resistant, and existing key public buildings must be retrofitted or rebuilt to be earthquake-resistant (Law 400 of 1997). 39 Disaster Risk Management in Latin America and the Caribbean Region: GFDRR Country Notes more widespread and more effective investments in sophisticated and detailed risk assessment models. risk reduction at the municipal level. In addition, the DNP (National Planning Department) is monitoring The response capacity of all levels in the system municipal investments in risk reduction to track if the activated at the same time has only been tested capacity building efforts have any impact on municipal once since its creation. This was in 1999 after decision-making with regards to risk reduction. the Armenia earthquake, which caused thousands of deaths and a high level of structural damage. Immediately after the earthquake, the Government of Colombia established the Reconstruction Fund for HFA Priority #5: Disaster preparedness, the Coffee Region (FOREC). FOREC reported to recovery and reconstruction at national, the Office of the President with the National Planning regional, and local levels Department (DNP) acting as secretariat. FOREC was to finance, execute and coordinate the economic, In Colombia, the disaster response structure has social and environmental reconstruction of the four levels of organization. Response to a given disaster-affected region. Judging from the response natural event starts with the local level determining if and reconstruction after the Armenia earthquake, the event is of a magnitude that the local response Colombia has a well functioning response system. committee can manage or if help needs to be requested at the municipal, departmental or national level. With regard to disaster response, the main challenge for the government of Colombia Since 2006, the National Directorate of Disaster is to finance and rapidly initiate the recovery prevention and Response has been providing phase in the aftermath of a natural disaster. In training at local, municipal, and departmental June 2009 The World Bank and Colombia signed a levels through the Local, Municipal and Departmental Development Policy Loan (DPL) with a Catastrophe Committees for Disaster Prevention and Response. A Deferred Draw Down Option (CAT DDO) which new plan for training municipalities was approved in has been designed to provide a financing bridge— 2007 and is under implementation with support of the after a disaster of a scale that cannot be funded APL 1. In 2008, 60 municipalities were trained and with the internal reserve—to other sources of relief another 150 in 2009. as they become available. As part of a catastrophe risk-financing strategy, this instrument will provide To test existing capacity, simulations and drills the Government with bridge financing in response have been carried out in major cities. The latest to adverse natural events generating losses beyond and largest exercise was an earthquake simulation the capacity of the annual budget allocation to in Bogotá supported by USAID/OFDA and UNDP the Risk Management Directorate (DGR) for in October 2009. First responders, national and responding to disasters. district authorities, and the general population all participated in the exercise as part of the mass CoNpeS14 3146 of 1998 raised the issue of prevention campaign “with feet on the ground� (www. the fiscal vulnerability of the state to natural conlospiesenlatierra.gov.co). Bogotá has developed disasters and identified concerns for the advanced disaster recovery plans based on financing of reconstruction should a major 14 A CONPES is a cross-sector socio-economic policy document. 40 CoLoMbiA catastrophic event occur. Cardona et al. (2005) catastrophe insurance program for private dwellings. estimate that the Government of Colombia would face The MHCP has conducted a series of technical a long-term resource gap, that is, a shortfall of funding studies on earthquake risk assessment to evaluate available compared to funding needs, if confronted the physical damage caused by a major earthquake with a disaster with a return period of 100 years.15 on public assets. This complements other studies carried out by the District of Bogotá on the impact of The government of Colombia is working on earthquakes on public buildings and private dwellings. a series of policy documents related to the These studies, based on state-of-the art catastrophe retention and transfer of the residual risk risk-modeling techniques, provide the Government in Colombia. In Colombia, all public buildings of Colombia with very detailed information on are required by law to be insured (Law No. 42 earthquake risk assessment.16 of 1993). The Ministry of Finance (MHCP) is currently investigating options to design a cost- effective insurance program for public assets and a key DoNoR eNgAgeMeNTS Allocated Budget and existing projects with Donors and Funding Agency / period HFA Activity International Financial Institutions International partners (US$) Area(s) Colombia Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project World Bank 110 million 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 2005-2011 Bogota Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project World Bank 80 million 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 2006-2011 Colombia Disaster Risk Management Development World Bank 150 million 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Policy Loan 2009-2012 Colombia Probabilistic Risk Assessment Platform GFDRR/World Bank 500,000 1,2 2010-2011 Technical assistance for the preparation of Barranquilla GFDRR/World Bank 150,000 4 Flood Mitigation Project 2010-2011 Project preparation of Barranquilla Flood Mitigation Spanish Trust Fund/World Bank 725,000 4 Project 2010-2011 Support for DesInventar online disaster database European Commission through the 140,00017 2 creation of National online Disaster Prevention and PREDECAN project 2003-2009 Management Information System (SIAPAD) 15 See Annex 9, “Potential Economic Losses of Disasters in Colombia.� 16 These studies include ERN (2005a), ERN (2005b), and CEDERI (2005). 17 Approximate amount to support Colombia directly, although broader program has larger resource allocations. 41 Disaster Risk Management in Latin America and the Caribbean Region: GFDRR Country Notes Cartagena gloBAl FACIlITy FoR DISASTeR citizens at local levels. This is critical for improving urban planning processes that will avoid development ReDUCTIoN AND ReCoVeRy patterns that exacerbate vulnerability. Successful (gFDRR): ACTIoN plAN implementation of the probabilistic risk assessment platform will help address this challenge. GFDRR Although there have been significant advances support for the platform is essential for its success. in disaster risk management, remaining challenges have been identified based on Due to the combination of legal responsibility, Colombia’s risk profile and indicative program. capacity and needs to invest in disaster risk Strategic actions are needed in the following reduction, the larger municipalities in Colombia areas to enhance disaster risk management in are currently a good entry point for promoting risk Colombia: (i) increase awareness and resilience reduction investments. GFDRR could continue to play at local levels, (ii) mainstream disaster risk an important role by providing grant funds for integration management (DRM) in priority sectors, and (iii) of disaster risk reduction in urban development projects institutionalize disaster risk financing. and thereby leverage significant amounts of additional resources for reducing disaster risk. In spite of the important advances in data gathering and knowledge production and some While progress has been made to advances in awareness raising, Colombia still institutionalize disaster risk management has significant challenges. The main challenge lies in general, work remains for Colombia to in knowledge creation among decision-makers and institutionalize its disaster risk financing. A 42 CoLoMbiA main challenge relates to the risk to private housing. the Secretary of Finance of the District of Bogotá, Legally this is private risk, but in the event of a major as well as the insurance association, in an attempt to disaster, the Government is likely to be called upon launch an insurance scheme to protect both private as the insurer of last resort. A solution is being and public assets from natural disasters. sought that involves collaboration between the national government and key municipalities, as well as The following activities have been identified in public-private partnerships involving the national and consultation with local authorities and reflect international insurance markets. GFDRR resources HFA priority action areas. These actions support would support work among the Ministry of Finance, Colombia’s disaster risk management program. Indicative Indicative program for gFDRR Funding Budget and (Projects and engagement areas being considered Implementing Agency / period HFA Activity for GFDRR funding) International partners (US$) Area(s)18 Strengthening the policy framework, tools and National Planning Department, 800,000 1 institutional coordination of the national system Directorate of Disaster Prevention and 2011-2012 for disaster risk management Management Implementation framework for Climate Change National Planning Department 500,000 1, 2, 3 Adaptation activities focused on disaster risk 2011-2012 management Development of a Risk Assessment Platform for National Planning Department 500,000 2, 3 Colombia (2nd phase) 2011-2012 Municipal Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project Municipality to be determined 1.2 million 4 2011-2012 Insurance of public assets and risk financing Municipality of Bogotá 200,000 5 2011 Initial Budget proposal: US$4.834 million In addition to the above-mentioned activities, dialogue with the Government of Colombia will lead opportunities are under consideration to maximize to the prioritization of future initiatives to ensure South-South cooperation in the Andean countries adequate mainstreaming and implementation of with key participation of Colombia. Continued disaster risk management measures. 18 HFA Priority Action Areas: 1.Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation; 2. Identify, assess, and monitor disaster risks—and enhance early warning; 3. Use knowledge, innovation, and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels; 4. Reduce the underlying risk factors; 5. Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels. 43 Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433, USA Telephone: 202-458-0268 E-mail: drm@worldbank.org Facsimile: 202-522-3227 AUSTRALIA BAngLAdeSh BeLgIUM BRAZIL CAnAdA COLOMBIA denMARK FInLAnd FRAnCe geRMAnY hAITI IndIA IReLAnd ITALY JAPAn LUXeMBOURg MALAWI MeXICO The neTheRLAndS neW ZeALAnd nORWAY SAUdI ARABIA SenegAL SOUTh AFRICA SOUTh KOReA SPAIn SWeden SWITZeRLAnd TURKeY UnITed KIngdOM UnITed STATeS VIeTnAM YeMen Special thanks and appreciation are extended to the partners who support GFDRR’s work to protect livelihood and improve lives: ACP Secretariat, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Haiti, India, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United Nations Development Programme, United States, UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, Vietnam, the World Bank, and Yemen.