ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY QUESTIONS (ACABQ)’S VISIT TO ECLAC

Santiago, Chile, 25-28 September 2006

ECLAC WORK ON DISASTER ECLAC WORK ON DISASTER EVALUATIONEVALUATION

Ricardo Zapata-Marti

Regional Advisor, Focal Point for Disaster

EvaluationEconomic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

(ECLAC)Santiago, Chile, September 2006

Positive impact at the national level

• Field missions coordinated by ECLAC staff incorporate relevant UN agencies in country team

• Field missions are demand driven and generate synergy within government in post disaster recovery

• Assessments are based on long-standing, well established methodology

World-wide World-wide application and application and

recognition recognition boosted by boosted by incremental incremental

economic impact economic impact of disastersof disasters

Positive nature of interdisciplinary tool

• Coordinated, joint and cooperative work • Undertaken by the different sub regional

and national offices of ECLAC, and • Multidisciplinary interdivisional

composition of the missions• Involves knowledge transfer and

advancement• Generates efficient resource allocation,

technical and logistic synergies

Capacity for multiple, simultaneous response

• Given incremental and simultaneous occurrence of events

• Possible multiple, simultaneous response

• Proven by past experiences (Hurricane Mitch, 2004-2005 tropical storm seasons)

Increase in efficiency• Reduce pressures on governments by not carrying

several overlapping or non coordinated assessments, UN agency and other donors’ led assessments

• Use of a single standardized, harmonized methodology provides tool both for cooperation mobilization and national strategic recovery frameworks

• Given the positive past experience several UN agencies look forward for this ECLAC coordinated assessment and offer their support to it, including the financial institutions (such as the IDB, CAF, CABEI and CDB)  

• MOUs agreed with several international players, concretely with IDB, UNDP/Haiti, UNDP/BCPR, WFP and UNICEF to do joint work

• Coordinated development of analytical tools related to disaster damage and needs assessments and risk management and reduction, including IFIs and UN agencies

Recognition from member governments

• Evidenced both by request for such assessments (starting in 1972, and most recently in 2005 and 2006 in Central America and the  Caribbean for such events as hurricanes Emily, Stan and Wilma in several countries,

• Ongoing assessment of floods in Suriname,• Request of training in the methodology, both

– In the region (Belize, Jamaica, this year, which are normally funded by XB resources, such as UNDP, IDB, CAF,

– Beyond the region under sponsorship of World Bank and, in some instances, the requesting country itself which will fund the mission study costs.

Summary of natural disasters worldwideSummary of natural disasters worldwide   2,0052,005 AverageAverage

1995-20041995-20042005: 2005: PercentaPercentage over ge over averageaverage

Number of national level Number of national level eventsevents

428428 322322 132.92%132.92%

Number of affected Number of affected countriescountries

127127 108108 117.59%117.59%

FatalitiesFatalities 89,91689,916 77,32077,320 116.29%116.29%

Affected population Affected population (millions)(millions)

160160 254254 63.02%63.02%

Economic damage and Economic damage and losses (millions of losses (millions of dls.)dls.)

159,000159,000 65,50065,500 242.75%242.75%

Source: OFDA-CRED, Newsletter, February 2006Source: OFDA-CRED, Newsletter, February 2006

FUENTE: HIDROVEN

Transcendence beyond the Latin American region

• Namely in Southeast Asia, at the request of the World Bank

• Inter-regional cooperation with ESCAP, in training, dissemination and customization and improvement of ECLAC methodological tool

• Relevance of use in the 2004 December Indian Ocean Tsunami

• Inclusion of the methodology as part of the World Bank's toolkit for disaster and risk management.

• Participation in Kobe World Disaster Reduction Conference initiative of UN-wide International Recovery Platform

• ECLAC will help develop the conceptual, technical methodological tools that link emergency needs to damage, losses and recovery needs assessments and strategies.  

• Recognition of ECLAC's technical and practical expertise within the ISDR and by OCHA.

Systemic, analytical tool relevant to global UN agenda, MDGs and

Millennium Account

Ricardo Zapata - MartiCEPAL - ECLAC

1

10

100HUMAN

SOCIAL

NATURALFINANCIAL

PHYSICAL

Past Current Mid-term Long term

-- Networks and safety Networks and safety

systems (security, systems (security,

solidarity)solidarity)

-- Extended family linksExtended family links

. Violence and security. Violence and security

-- Settlements and housingSettlements and housing

-- infrastructure (transport and other)infrastructure (transport and other)

-- Clean (drinking) waterClean (drinking) water

-- Clean airClean air

Biodiversity and integrity Biodiversity and integrity

of ecosystems (micro of ecosystems (micro

climatic impactclimatic impact

-- Credit accessCredit access

-- Land tenure and property legal protectionLand tenure and property legal protection

- Health

- Education

Transcendence of the methodology beyond disaster

assessment• Use in sustainability analysis and the

potential impacts of climate change (IPCC IV)

• Ongoing work with the WMO in illustrating economic value of meteorological services

• Work with financial institutions in highlighting risk management financial instruments

• Provide conceptual framework to assess disaster impact on achievement of poverty reduction programmes, disaster and crisis prevention and recovery, and attainment of MDGs

Recognition by other stakeholders

• By request of the major reinsurers that the ECLAC methodology provides a standardized tool that is useful for their risk analysis;

• By academic/research institutions that include the data of ECLAC assessments in internationally recognized data bases on disaster's impact, such as the Louvain University OFDA-CRED database.

• By NGOs, that see in methodology means of showcasing gender, social and other impacts

How is ECLAC work perceived

• How do member countries receive our technical cooperation (which in this field has always been demand-driven),

• How we establish the interdisciplinary, interdivisional, interinstitutional teams both from the UN/international donor community side and clear identification of national relevant counterparts from the line ministries to the national planning, executive branches

• How countries obtain benefits from assessments

Mobilization of resources• Resource mobilization for the specific national reconstruction

processes (by their presentation in donor conferences, special consultative groups of the banks, etc.)

• In terms of policy changes at the national and international level.  

Cases in point are– The IDB's disaster response policy that evolved based on

joint ECLAC/IDB promotion of the concept that disasters are a development issue, after such watershed events as the 1998 hurricanes in the Caribbean (hurricane George in Dominican Republic) and Central America (hurricane Mitch)

– The World Bank use for damage, loss and needs assessment after Gujarat earthquake in India, Indian Ocean tsunami, training of its technical and sector staff both in Headquarters and in the field

– Preparation of distance learning tools by World Bank Institute

ECLAC´s contribution to ECLAC´s contribution to understand the understand the difference on how to face difference on how to face risk:risk:

• Living in it (passive Living in it (passive approach)approach)

• Living with it (proactive Living with it (proactive management)management)

ECLAC´s assessment tool ECLAC´s assessment tool makes it impossible is to makes it impossible is to ignore risk by ignore risk by

• Quantifying it to decision Quantifying it to decision makers.makers.

• Leading to policy Leading to policy changes in risk changes in risk appropriation and its appropriation and its transfer and reduction.transfer and reduction.

• Irs inclusion with other Irs inclusion with other development goals and development goals and major strategies for major strategies for poverty reduction.poverty reduction.

A shared UN view on disaster risk: a conceptual contribution

of ECLAC

Where do we want to be: Where do we want to be: the road to be takenthe road to be taken

• Revert the myth on public goods: Revert the myth on public goods: internalize damage and externalize internalize damage and externalize benefits/profitsbenefits/profits

• Further develop damage assessment Further develop damage assessment tools to customize them and advance into tools to customize them and advance into areas not explored (cultural assets, areas not explored (cultural assets, further environmental impact and climate further environmental impact and climate adaptation)adaptation)

• Train and empower users at the national Train and empower users at the national and local leveland local level

• Reference materials:Reference materials:– ECLAC handbook for the socioeconomic and environmental impact of disasters (ECLAC handbook for the socioeconomic and environmental impact of disasters (

www.cepal.org/mexico, “desastres”), “desastres”)– Disasters and development (IADB/ECLAC publication, 2000Disasters and development (IADB/ECLAC publication, 2000– Disaster assessments: 1973 to 2005 (Disaster assessments: 1973 to 2005 (www.cepal.org/mexico), “desastres”)), “desastres”)– The 2004 Hurricanes in the Caribbean and the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean The 2004 Hurricanes in the Caribbean and the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean

(ECLAC series (“Estudios y perspectivas) no.35 (ECLAC series (“Estudios y perspectivas) no.35 – WBI Distance Learning Courses: modules on damage and needs assessment (WBI Distance Learning Courses: modules on damage and needs assessment (

http://www.worldbank.org.ph/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/PHILIPPINESEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20236598~menuPK:488905~pagePK:1497618~piPK:217854~theSitePK:332982,00.html) )

– ESCAP / UNDP-BCPR project on the application of the ECLAC Methodology in ESCAP / UNDP-BCPR project on the application of the ECLAC Methodology in Southeast Asia (Southeast Asia (http://www.unescap.org/index.asp, , ti@unescap.org) )

Thanks for your attentionThanks for your attention