Juan Pablo Sarmiento

Establishing public accountability, speaking truth to power and inducing political will for disaster risk reduction: ‘Ocho Rios + 25’

The problem is that disaster risk reduction (DRR) is still more a zone of political darkness than of light. Therefore, the purpose of our contribution to this theme issue is to illuminate at least some of that zone of political darkness and to suggest a more proactive, but for many career professionals a personally problematic, way forward for DRR. The career problematic derives from the fact that the way forward would involve moving from applauding the emergence of elected and/or appointed champions (from mayors to cabinet ministers to presidents/prime ministers) for action to raising the political costs of inaction by leaders not otherwise disposed. The essential element of this way forward would be greatly enhanced public accountability. We will draw preliminary accountability lessons from the Haiti earthquake catastrophe and the Chile earthquake disaster 2010 events towards the conclusion of this paper as we outline a possible future paradigm.

Disaster risk perception in urban contexts and for people with disabilities: case study on the city of Iquique (Chile)

About 15% of the world’s population suffers from some kind of disability. In addition to experiencing high rates of poverty, exclusion and lack of access to education, employment, health care, legal support and other services, individuals with disabilities are disproportionately affected by disasters, recording a mortality rate two to four times higher than that of people without disabilities. These facts are not reflected in information surveys used in planning for disaster risk management in urban contexts. This study proposes an approach to characterize the population with disabilities within a risk perception framework using the city of Iquique, in northern Chile, as a case study. This research encompasses the following stages: first, a review of the social risk perception approach; second, a determination of exposure to natural hazards; third, the sample selection, survey design and implementation; fourth, the generation of four indices: (1) the overall or generic risk perception index; (2) the specific index for each of the identified hazards; (3) the anticipated behavior index; and (4) the local risk management index; and finally, the statistical analysis of the indices and the selected independent variables, emphasizing the disability factor. The study allowed us to estimate Iquique’s population with disabilities, the types of disabilities present and the characteristics of families with disabled members. Risk perception and disabled people represent new issues with high social value and deserve more attention from research, planning and response agencies.

Sistematización in Urban Disaster Risk Reduction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of sistematizacion’s use as a research tool in the operationalization of a “neighborhood approach” to the implementation of disaster risk reduction (DRR) in informal urban settlements. Design/methodology/approach – The first section highlights sistematizacion’s historical origins in Latin America in the fields of popular adult education, social work, and rural development. The second explains why sistematizacion was made a required component of project implementation. The third section addresses the approach to sistematizacion used. The final discusses how this experience both contributes to sistematizacion’s theoretical development and practical application as a methodology. Findings – The introduction of “sistematizacion” as a research tool facilitated real-time assessment of project implementation, providing timely information that positively influenced decision-making processes. This on-going feedback, collective learning, and open-exchange...

What is the post-2015 development agenda? A look from the underlying disaster risk drivers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the current and projected impacts of the three post-2015 development agendas on the underlying disaster risk drivers (UDRD): the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris COP21 Agreement. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on an ontological process, understood as an exhaustive analysis of the properties and relationships of an entity or subject of study. Findings The process characterized and linked the objectives proposed in the three agendas through the impact of the expected results on the underlying risk drivers. First, elements related to disaster risk within each agenda were identified. Then, in following the theory of change, a series of tools were used to identify domains of change, pathways, breakthroughs, and incremental outcomes that counteract the construction of disaster risk by acting on the underlying causes. It is essential that there be coherence, complementarity, and interdependence between the three agendas analyzed in order to transcend beyond the desired economic growth, and thus underpin true sustainable development by focusing on the UDRD. Originality/value Applying the theory of change constitutes a novel approach to identify the pathways or domains of change needed to integrate the three 2015 development agendas.

Post-project review in urban disaster risk reduction

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of a post-project review (PPR) method designed to verify the accomplishments of urban disaster risk reduction-neighborhood approach (DRR-NA) projects after at least one year of project closeout. The PPR revisited the essential processes identified during project implementation and analyzed the sustainability of project gains. Design/methodology/approach The first section focuses on a literature review of the evaluation methods after project implementation, and the second describes the urban risk PPR design, its implementation, and findings. Findings The proposed framework for the PPR was clear and uniform and at the same time offered the necessary flexibility to adapt to the different DRR-NA projects and contexts. The PPR methodology sought to determine the conditions of the physical works, social and environmental gains, and progress in institutional arrangements associated with the NA projects. Factors that contribute and impede success in DRR-NA projects were identified. Practical implications Allowing at least one year between the completion of the NA projects and the PPR is both convenient and challenging. On the positive side, this approach allows for the verification of project outcomes after an extended period of time. However, there are also challenges, such as the need to seek additional financial resources to carry out the review; generate new contractual mechanisms; and assign human resources to review a project already closed. Originality/value The changes introduced into the PPR methodology to obtain a participative and self-conducted process resulted in a truly collective learning experience, becoming an act of accountability and social commitment.

Disaster Risk Assessment Developing a Perceived Comprehensive Disaster Risk Index: The Cases of Three Chilean Cities

A significant increase in the impacts caused by extreme events, of both natural and anthropogenic origin, has been observed in recent decades at a global scale. Chile is no exception to this dynamic. Hazards of various origins and their interactions with socioeconomic, urban, and demographic changes, combined with governance issues have led to a significant risk increase. An accurate assessment of this risk is a significantly complex problem and a holistic approach is required. To address this issue, a multi‐ criteria decision model has been designed, using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), which includes qualitative and quantitative variables. The model can be adapted to different contexts, generating a comparable metrics (commensurable) for different cities. The three cities analyzed in this study (Iquique, Puerto Montt, and Puerto Varas) show different levels of risks as a result of a synergic and dynamic combination of factors related not only with natural and physical conditions but also particularly with the variables related to social vulnerability and resilience capacity.