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The December 1999 Floods in Venezuela, and the role of the UN’s system in disaster management

The December 1999 Floods in Venezuela, and the role of the UN’s system in disaster management. General description of the hydrometeorological phenomena.

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The December 1999 Floods in Venezuela, and the role of the UN’s system in disaster management

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  1. The December 1999 Floods in Venezuela, and the role of the UN’s system in disaster management

  2. General description of the hydrometeorological phenomena • As a side effect of “la Niña” phenomena, an abnormal and heavy rain affected most of the northern areas of Venezuela. In only the three days, previous to the disas-ter, the amount of rain was over the total annual average rate.

  3. Torrential land slides evolution The steep and high mountains (1800 m) of the coastal range, added to the heavy rain and over saturated soils, triggered rocks, land and mud slides that swiped away trees and all kind of debris on its pathway.

  4. Los Corales Camurí Chico Macuto Punta Mulatos Aerial view of flows and alluvial fans

  5. Areas of intense erosion, landslides & mudflows River beds and landslide pathway Alluvial fans, sediments deposition and violent flooding Coastal depositional fan deltas North central coast: Landslide, mud and debris flow and violent flooding Caraballeda Maiquetía La Guaira El Ávila Caracas Source: R. Sancio & D. Salcedo & newspapers

  6. Affected areas Affected areas

  7. Massive rock slides Quebrada Galipán

  8. Massive erosion and loss of vegetation Caraballeda Tanaguarena

  9. 1995 1999 Carmen de Uria Northern Coast: Total destruction

  10. Flooded areas

  11. Flooded areas, and debris driven more than 100 km by the coastal currents

  12. Rupture of dams and flooded towns

  13. El Guapo dam’s rupture • 70% of the water supply of the areas was lost with the rupture of the 60 m height dam with a capac-ity of 140 millions m3.

  14. Rescue and back home

  15. Caracas

  16. International donations and emergency shelters

  17. LA GUAIRA: Historical colonial sector and Port facilities La Guaira - Maiquetía

  18. Northern coast: Damage and rescue Macuto - Camurí Chico

  19. Northern coast: Structural damage and destruction

  20. 1000 166 100 Perú, El Niño Ecuador, El Niño 80 % Honduras, Mitch Falcón Miranda 10 Vargas 11 6 15 4 1 Total Damage vs. GDP Total damage vs. GDP

  21. 211 257 Vargas 302 Distrito Federal Miranda Falcón 398 2069 Other States 11% 22% 2% Socials Infrastructure Productives Environmental 29% Other damages 36% Distribution of total disaster’s losses US$ 3,237 million

  22. National Emergency Committee

  23. The role of new technologies (1) • The communications systems were a key aspect on the rescue and emergency activities. In an area, where the normal telephone lines and the power supply were down, the cellular phones were crucial, and the only mean of com-munication. • The commercial TV channels, also played an important role in helping the emergency activities

  24. The role of new technologies (2) • Portable water supply

  25. The role of new technologies (3) International cooperation information management system: SIGCO • SIGCO, is a WEB based public man-agement system, that was developed to provide consolidated, detailed and validated information on international cooperation that Venezuela received and requires to deal with the emer-gency

  26. The role of new technologies (4) Procurement of goods and services • Several water treatment plants, medicines and com-munication equipment were purchased by UNDP with funds originating in dona-tions, channeled through OCHA, from the Govern-ments of Sweden, Norway, Canada, UK and others.

  27. The role of new technologies (5) Chemical pollution of Port of La Guaira • Technical and material resources were mobilized to deal with the chemical emergency of Port of La Guaira, and to clean up the affected area. Specialists from the Relief Board and Germany (BASF and THW) came to advice on the chemical emergency.

  28. The role of new technologies (6) • A project of risk mapping have been launched with the aid of new mapping techniques and the use of GIS. The central-northern coast of Venezuela has been selected as pilot project , for the national map. • Early warning systems have been designed and some are under installation in several potentially dangerous streams of the northern slope of the Coastal Mountain Range

  29. The role of the UN System (1) • The United Nations System immediately activated the cooperation mechanisms to assist the Government during the emergency phase and support the recovery of affected areas. • On December 22nd, 1999 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which urges the international community to quickly respond and provide generous aid to Venezuela • During the emergency, the local UN Representative held periodical coordination meetings with the officers of the UN’s Agencies, bilateral donors and NGOs.

  30. The role of the UN System (2) • The UNDP Emergency and Rehabilitation Unit, assigned a specialist to help in the formulation of rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes. Three experts prepared sev-eral projects on the matter, and are the basis for formu-lating a Program for the Rehabilitation of the Affected Areas. • UNDP launched a project on risk management to help the establishment of a national disaster prevention and man-agement system.

  31. The role of the UN System (3) Evaluation of damage’s cost • Specialists from ECLAC, supported by US$ 120,000 from UNDP, prepared an evaluation of the social, economic and financial costs and damage of the disaster and a proposals of several rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. The Report was presented to the International Community at a meeting held in Madrid on 21 February 2000, which was jointly convened by IDB and the Government of Spain.

  32. The role of the UN System (4) OCHA: • mobilized personnel to Caracas, prepared the SitReps, mobilized one million dollars, and channeled a further $24 million in bilateral aid, to provide humanitarian aid to the affected people. • funded, jointly with UNDP, SIGCO and kept there an updated information related to the disaster and humanitarian aid.

  33. The role of the UN System (5) OCHA: • set up a Venezuelan working group, with joint financing from the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) and UNDP, to characterize the disaster, and published the widely distributed report, : "Study of the effects of the December 1999 floods in Venezuela”.

  34. The role of the UN System (6)

  35. The role of the UN System (7)

  36. The role of the UN System (8)

  37. Examples of multi-bi cooperation • The Government of Italy established, through UNDP, a $5 million dollars project to provide emergency assistance and to start rehabilitation and reconstruction projects in the El Guapo area. • The Swiss Agency for Humanitarian Aid and UNDP, launched a project on hazards and risk evaluation.

  38. Conclusions: Lessons learnt • Establishment of efficient, adequate and timely information systems (SIGCO as an example). • Need for a permanent and adequate emergency preparedness system at National and UN’s Agencies levels. • The key role played by the international cooperation.

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