Four of the 14 communes in the Biobío province still do not have a Communal Disaster Risk Reduction Plan (PCRRD) formalized through a mayoral decree, according to a study prepared by Corporación Ciudades based on information from the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (Senapred).
These are Laja, Quilaco, Santa Bárbara, and Tucapel, whose instruments show different levels of progress according to the background data analyzed by the entity, in a scenario where these plans seek to strengthen the prevention and preparedness of cities against the threats to which they are exposed.
THE REASONS BEHIND THE ANALYSIS
The analysis arose with the aim of understanding the degree of implementation of these instruments in the country, considering the occurrence of higher-intensity meteorological phenomena and the different vulnerabilities existing in the territory.
Regarding this work, Diario La Tribuna spoke with Martín Andrade, executive director of Corporación Ciudades.
"We wanted to understand, especially in a climatic context where we have seen these extreme events, both in the north and in the south, what the level of updating is regarding these instruments," he explained.
As detailed by the interviewee, Law 21.364, enacted in 2021, established the development of disaster risk reduction plans at different territorial levels. At the communal scale, these documents allow for establishing work guidelines considering the particular characteristics of each locality.
"These communal disaster risk reduction plans are very important because they identify vulnerabilities, in some cases gaps, capacities, and investment, and above all, they generate a work framework between municipalities and Senapred," he stated.
The executive director noted that the existence of prior work does not necessarily mean that a municipality already formally has the instrument, since before reaching the mayoral decree, different technical and administrative stages must be completed.
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PROGRESS IN THE PROVINCE
The review carried out by the entity revealed differences among the four communes in the province that have not yet completed the procedure. In two of them, the background data collected shows that there is a favorable evaluation from Senapred and that subsequent procedures remain.
"Quilaco and Santa Bárbara were technically recommended by Senapred, but they are in the formalization process," he stated.
A different situation was raised regarding Laja. During the interview, Andrade included it among the communes whose instrument was not technically recommended, so it remains among the territories in the province that still do not have a formalized PCRRD.
Regarding Tucapel, the background data consulted by Corporación Ciudades indicated a lower degree of development of the procedure at the time the analysis was carried out, although the municipality reported in May that it has been working on the development of the PCRRD since February to submit it to Senapred.
"Tucapel is even more complicated because it appears as if it has no plan and it does not even appear under review, that is, it seems to be the most delayed commune in terms of its management," he commented.
The entity's representative warned that the difficulties in completing these instruments should not be attributed exclusively to local administrations, since there are differences in the capacities available to develop this type of planning.
"This is not solely the responsibility of the municipality itself. There are municipalities that perhaps do not have the appropriate professionals and often have budgetary problems," he maintained.
The expert recalled that Senapred has provided funding and technical support to municipalities in recent years to advance in the development of these instruments, an effort that, as he indicated, has allowed more local administrations to progress in their respective processes.
THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THESE INSTRUMENTS
Beyond the administrative procedure required for their approval, the executive director explained that the usefulness of the PCRRDs is related to having background information in advance that allows understanding the particular conditions of each territory. To illustrate this, he used a comparison with the functioning of a home in a situation requiring assistance.
"I like to compare it to a house and an emergency service. When you have a house checked out, emergency personnel know well where the switches are, what population it has, which are the most vulnerable groups, and what the threats are," he explained.
The professional maintained that having this information in advance can influence the decisions made in the face of an adverse event and the actions subsequently deployed by the corresponding institutions.
"Not having this instrument affects the resilience of that commune, but also, eventually, when a disaster occurs, it can make all the difference when rescue and recovery organizations act. Ultimately, it becomes information that can be critical in moments when it is needed most," he stated.
Andrade added that these documents must be renewed every four years and that their contents are expected to be updated every two, because the conditions existing in each territory can change over time.
"Dynamics, capacities, and vulnerabilities are something that also requires being constantly reviewed," he concluded.
THE FIGURES IN BIOBÍO AND THE COUNTRY
At the regional level, the analysis by Corporación Ciudades establishes that 25 of the 33 communes in Biobío have a formalized PCRRD, while eight still do not have the instrument approved through a mayoral decree.
In addition to the four communes in the Biobío province mentioned above, Coronel, Lota, Lebu, and Contulmo complete the group of eight in the region that are in this condition.
The scenario extends to the rest of the country. According to the study, 218 communes, equivalent to 63%, have a PCRRD with a mayoral decree, while 127, corresponding to 37%, still do not have the formalized instrument.
Among the latter, there are different stages of progress. According to Corporación Ciudades, 76 have plans without review, 30 have new documents that have not yet been technically recommended, 14 have new plans under review, and seven have a technical recommendation and remain in the formalization process.
Source:La Tribuna
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