Disaster risk management in development projects: models and checklists

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the available information about the causes and consequences of risk is scarce and barely meets the needs of project engineers and decision makers. Although local governments and communities typically who bear the brunt of the losses, they do not participate in the definitions and are not informed about the “acceptable” level of risk or how to reduce it. The formulation and adoption of risk management criteria (supported by engineering geological modelling), throughout the cycle of development/investment projects, should take account of the affected communities and how they can play a part in the decision making. This requires an increased awareness and understanding of both natural hazards and vulnerability. The paper analyses best practices based on experiences from Latin America and the Caribbean, which may be useful for the evaluation of hazards and vulnerability and lead to proactive risk management.