In this section, main observations derived from the evaluation of current DRR initiatives and approaches undertaken during the MuSe-IDRiM Conference are presented.
3.2 Thematic Roundtables
Beyond the adverse effects of the disasters triggered by the earthquakes of September 2017, debates were centered on how consequences exposed the magnitude of a multidimensional problem related to the different historical dimensions of vulnerability, the multiplication of disaster risk drivers, and immediate or critical causes of disasters, especially those related to earthquake resistant building standards and construction codes, which are more often than not, ignored by real estate business. These issues are strongly linked to legal and regulatory frameworks that although can be in place, implementation of laws and sanctioning of noncompliance lack across levels of government. The rift between ordinance and practice emanates from weak governance in connection with the disjointed architecture and functionality of judicial and legislative powers and public administration across scales.
Central to this discussion was the topic of post-disaster recovery, relocation, and reconstruction after the earthquakes of 2017. Technical-engineering and social perspectives including political-legal dimensions were considered. SINAPROC lacks conceptual and practical coherence focused on integrated DRM. In terms of social participation, it has no foundations or experiences that contribute to a different design than that of aid and rescue.
Social participation would be stronger should strategies from the government include unrestricted dissemination of information, risk atlases, technical damage assessments, incorporation of human rights frameworks within the DRR sphere, creation of science based disaster risk communication, and community inclusion for disaster risk initiatives directed to housing reconstruction. Evidence showed that civil society is a team of diverse actors whose potential for knowledge and intervention has not been sufficiently valued by authorities.
A major distress about planned and ongoing megaprojects infrastructure was also revealed. This is perceived as lifesaver to confront extreme events by authorities, while other stakeholders, particularly civil society, are concerned about their role in exacerbate existing disaster risk drivers. A view on sustainable development should be therefore incorporated into infrastructure strategies, on which integrated DRM should not be disregarded.
In addition to the unambiguous relationship between science and policy making and practice, a key component for successful integrated DRM is education. However, there are certain drawbacks associated with the structure of education related to DRR nationwide. First, the complexity of designing and implementing a sound transdisciplinary curriculum on DRR across educative levels has been overlooked by different stakeholders, but particularly by the government. Second, there is a deficiency in the number of well-trained professionals in DRR who can be involved in the creation of educational programs. Finally, and most importantly, authorities in charge of civil protection at different government levels lack the knowledge and skills needed for proper management of disaster risk.
Further discussions illustrated a series of public health care problems after the occurrence of disasters at the municipal level linked to deficiencies of the institutional organization and infrastructure. Hence, enhancing accessibility and improving quality of health services to reduce vulnerability and during post-disaster recovery was echoed as a critical requirement for DRR.
Because territories themselves are social constructions, it is necessary to recognize interlinkages between society and territory. This would stimulate a co-design of programs, projects, and interventions considering society. Although it is well recognized that planning should be integrated in DRR, lack of or inadequate coordination between relevant institutions and ministries who are involved in environment, planning, health, education, development, and other disaster risk related issues, was identified.
Hazard monitoring is privileged over integrated research as a result of traditional monodisciplinary practices or due to the possibility of obtaining resources to reinforce existing information systems and models with no integrative approach to reduce disaster risk. Therefore, new strategies should foresee how addressing local vulnerability and exposure issues can contribute to deeper understanding of the complexity of disaster risk and reducing the impact of disasters on the community and region.
High-level monitoring strategies for some hazards have been developed. Nonetheless, arguments also reflected the urgency to standardize and exchange information on existing hazard monitoring systems, and especially to address current limitations due to lack of resources in state public universities to maintain monitoring equipment and absence of interinstitutional support approaches.
Concerns were highlighted in reference to forecasting and EWSs. Beyond technical approaches focused on preparedness and mitigation procedures, EWSs should be enhanced to achieve efficiency and reliability as instruments for integrated DRM, rather than as conjunctural communication systems, detached from social processes. Early warning system design should not be limited to infrastructure, equipment, and information technology devices for alerting and delineating evacuation actions. They must include people and communities’ perspectives on DRR.
Issues related to potential impacts of climate change on disasters were particularly prominent in terms of assessing regional and national knowledge and uncertainty. Evaluation of institutional capacity at subnational and local levels, along with the needs and costs of adaptation were recurred themes. It was also noted that articulated mitigation and adaptation decisions and actions could contribute to strengthening integrated DRM.
3.3 High-Level Dialogues
Owing to an absence of dissemination and disclosure of information that prevent people from making informed decisions, lack of democratization of knowledge violates human rights. In a disaster situation people face violations of various rights. Under disaster risk and disaster contexts, the human sphere of integrated DRM should comprise economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights as well as civil and political rights, so that citizenship can be built.
Science and technology community should be intrinsically linked to policy making and practice. Contrary to expectations, there is not an encouraging balance yet since this type of synergies are circumstantial and technical approaches prevail. Poor government interest and commitment to address social, economic, cultural, environmental, territorial, and political matters based on science information and knowledge has been observed.
Due to the constant expansion of weak legal and planning strategies during several decades, a series of problems producing disaster risk drivers persist in the territory, especially in the cities. Lack of understanding of the territory from an integrated perspective by the institutions hinders consistent public policies.
There are two main financial instruments: FONDEN and FOPREDEN. FONDEN, Mexico’s Fund for Natural Disasters, relies on federal budget funds, and financial risk transfer instruments. It aims to take actions and apply resources to mitigate the effects of disasters regarding emergency response and reconstruction. FOPREDEN, the Mexican Federal Fund for the Prevention of Natural Disasters, is a federal fund established to support disaster prevention activities by cofinancing local disaster prevention projects.
These financial instruments have been designed from a civil protection perspective as they have been mainly focused on the application of post-disaster measures and development of infrastructure projects. The imbalance of these funds is expressed through their contrasting investment. While for instance during 2013–2017, 114,497 million pesos (USD 6735 million) were financed via FONDEN (Presidencia de la República
2017,
2018), only 2482 million pesos (USD 146 million) were provided by FOPREDEN (Rodríguez
2017); the ratio of disaster response and recovery to prevention expenditures was 46:1.