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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />PPOO-7 <br /> <br />Frederick Krimgold <br />World Institute for Disaster Risk Management <br />Virginia Tech, 206 North Washington Street <br />Alexandria, Virginia 22314 <br />Tel: (703)535-3444; email: krimgold@vt.edu <br /> <br />INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN DISASTERS: LINKING <br />HAZARDS AND SUSTAlNABILITY <br /> <br />These retlUlII<s are based on experience from the past five years in India, Mexico and Turkey. In each case the emphasis is on <br />disaster management and mitigation. <br /> <br />India: A> a part of the Maharashtra Emergency Esrthquake ReconstJuction Project (MEERP), whieh followed the Latur <br />earthquake of 1993, provision was made for the establishment of a Disaster Management Unit centrally in the Government of <br />the State ofMaharashtra and at the District level. llris project benefitted from external fimding and technicsl assistance. A <br />comprehensive p1aDning effort has been csnied out involving all the key agencies of government, the private sector and the <br />non-profit sector. A multihazard wInentbility assessment has been csnied out state-wide and at the District level. A GIS based <br />ha2ard and wInerability mapping effort is underway. <br /> <br />Mexico: In the aftermath of the Mexico City earthquake of 1985 important programs were undertaken to reduce future <br />earthquake risk in Mexico. Building codes were up-dated. schools were strengthened. and risk maps were refined. Also, very <br />importantly, a new govenunent agency was created: CENAPRED, the National Center for Prevention of Disasters. <br />CENAPRED in now the focal agency for research and resean:h applicstions for disaster risk reduction in Mexico. It csnies out <br />a range of critical fimctions from real-time volcano monitoring to implementation of building code improvements in ha2ardous <br />areas. Attention is now being directed to the management of the National Disaster Fund (Fonden) to more effectively <br />contribute to disaster mitigation and prevention. A combined publiclprivate program for risk reduction is currently being <br />developed. Initial studies have been commissioued and it is envisioned thst Mexico will initiate a major investment in disaster <br />risk reduction through improved municipal administration of landuse and building regulatory provisions and risk based <br />insurance premiums. <br /> <br />Turkey: Following the devastating earthquakes of August and November, 1999, Turkey has undertaken a major program of <br />earthquake risk reduction. The MEER (M8Imara Emergency Earthquake ReconstJuction)project is intended to deal with both <br />the reconstruction of damaged areas and the development of improved disaster management cspllCity. Attention is focused on <br />the revision and modernization ofkey laws including the Development Law, the Disaster Law and the Procurement Law. Each <br />of these laws effects the pattern of general physical planning and development Unintended disincentives for unsafe <br />development are being removed. Provision for professional qualification of designers and contractors are being established. <br />Positive incentives for safe construction are being introduced in a mandatory residential insurance program. <br /> <br />The World Bank has played an important role in each of these three projects. The Bank has established a Disaster <br />Management Facility and sponsors the ProVentiou Consortiwn whieh is an organization of government, non-government, <br />private sector and civil society institutions with a shared interest in sustainable development and risk reduction. The Bank is <br />beginning to mainstream disaster nianagement in the standard practice of project development and review. The World Bank is <br />an intergovernmental organization whieh operate primarily through governments and their agencies. While these agencies have <br />a critical role to play many important initiatives lay beyond the control of governments. <br /> <br />The World Institute for Disaster Risk Management(DRM) is a pert of the ProVention Consortiwn. It is has been founded by an <br />American university and the Swiss Federal Institutes ofTeehno1ogy with assistance from the World Bank and SwissRe, a <br />global reinsurance company. The Institute includes ten leading university based research centers from around the world and is <br />now active in pursuing research and research applicstion projects in disaster-prone developing Countries. DRM currently has <br />project activity in Mexico, Turkey, India and Azerbaijan. <br /> <br />The keys to appropriate mitigation are information and money. People need to know and understand the hazards to which they <br />are exposed. They need to know what feasible measures can be taken to reduce their risk and they need the resources to apply <br />those measures. The identificstion of risks has to be csnied out in context, that is, with an understanding of the total 'risk <br />hori20n' faced by and individual. Mitigation measures must be compatible with local cspabilities and resources. External <br />resources must be made available for long term sustainability (risk reduction) not just after-the-fact relief and recovery. <br />