The participants of the 6th Disaster Risk Reduction Platform in Latin America, celebrated in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, said that “Preventing disaster risks should be a daily task rather than an exceptional effort. In this event, a declaration was adopted which reflects the commitment to fully implement the Framework of Sendai, which seeks to mitigate potential claims caused by natural phenomena.[1]
From June 19 – 22, the 6th Disaster Risk Reduction Regional Platform took place in the Conference Center of Cartagena de Indias. Delegations from the governments of Latin America and The Caribbean, civil society organizations, and the cooperation agencies and multilateral organizations gathered to share disaster risk reduction experiences for the Global Platform to be held in Genova in May 2018.
In a statement released at the end of the three-day 6th Regional Platform on Disaster Reduction in Latin America, ministers and high-rank officers stated that the member States must include disaster risk reduction in all areas to promote a “less vulnerable region” and more resilient communities. The ministers and heads of delegations explained that the objective was to ensure that disaster risk reduction is considered a priority of public policies: “We urge countries to develop and strengthen disaster risk reduction plans and strategies at national and local level”. See Declaration of Cartagena here.
The Regional Action Plan for Latin America was approved last year in Montreal, Canada, in order to align the regional, national and local strategies of Latin America and The Caribbean with the Framework of Sendai for Disaster Risk Reduction – a 15-year agreement which was adopted by the International Community in 2015. The Framework of Sendai establishes many priority actions and clear goals in order to avoid new disaster risks and reduce the existing risks.
The event program included the presentation of the different initiatives adopted by multiple public, private and international cooperation institutions. In this context, Switzerland, through the Swiss Cooperation COSUDE, presented in its stand “Sowing resilience, harvesting development” the progress and achievements made through different projects being implemented in the region in reference to climate change and risk reduction.
In the Swiss Stand, Proyecto Glaciares+ presented disaster risk reduction experiences in two thematic round tables. The first roundtable titled “Governance for hydrometeorological risk management in the context of climate change. “Coordination for the Sustainability of Emergency Operation Centers” counted with the participation of Javier Abugattás, Chairman of CEPLAN’s Board of Directors; Walter Huamán, Manager of Natural Resources and Environmental Management of the Regional Government of Lima; and Mauricio Cerna, Coordinator of Proyecto Glaciares+ for Lima-Cañete. Members of the roundtable outlined the interinstitutional efforts made to form Local Emergency Operation Centers (COEL) at the Reserva Paisajística Nor Yauyos Cochas (Nor Yauyos Cochas Landscape Reserve), as part of their strategic planning which includes climate change and risk management.
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The second roundtable “Early Alert System in Glaciers: Glacier risk management in the context of climate change” counted with the participation of Jocelyn Ostolaza, Officer of COSUDE’s Climate Change Program; Juan Carlos Montero, Subdirector of CENEPRED’s Policies and Plans; Randy Muñoz, specialist of the University of Zurich; and Mauricio Cerna, Coordinator of Proyecto Glaciares+ for the Lima-Cañete region. During the presentations, emphasis was placed on the need to promote sustainable disaster risk management processes in which universities, public institutions and the civil society promote intercultural dialogue, applied research, strategic planning and governance.
The presentations gave rise to discussions and sharing of experiences among different national and international institutions. They demonstrated the importance of interinstitutionality and governance in disaster risk management, and revealed the role of scientific research in high-mountain risk reduction and prevention.
We share the video on the Systematization of the 6th Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Latin America, made by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management of Colombia.
See gallery in the next link:
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Web 6th Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Latin America
Presentation PPT Randy Muñoz,
Web Risk Programs, Global Programs and Humanitarian Aid in Los Andes, COSUDE
Proyecto Glaciares+, Project Sheet, Swiss Embassy of Peru, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation COSUDE
Web proyecto Glaciares+
[1] Fuente: Oficina de las Naciones Unidas para la reducción del Riesgo de Desastres
