Submitted by
Carolina.GARCI…
on Thu, 01/18/2018 - 22:58
General Information
Resolution
46512
IUCN Constituent
IUCN CEM Eco Disaster Risk Reduction Thematic Group 2017-2020
IUCN Constituent type
IUCN Commission on Ecosystems Management 2017-2020
Period covered
Geographic scope
Country
Country/Territory
Colombia
Actors involved in implementing this Resolution:
IUCN Members
No other Members are/have been involved
IUCN Commissions
No Commissions are/have been involved
Other non-IUCN related organisations
Corantioquia (Environmental Agency of the Centre of Antioquia); Colegio Mayor de Antioquia; Geological Society of Colombia
II. Implementation
Activities carried out to implement this Resolution
Activity
Capacity-building
Description and results/achievements of activities:
The work on Corantioquia about implementing Early Warning Systems for flash floods in 12 municipalities was a capacity building project meant to generate resilience and reduce the risk in the different communities, all of them affected by the armed conflict and therefore direct beneficiaries of the peace agreement.
Status
_none
Activity
Education/Communication/Raising awareness
Description and results/achievements of activities:
In order to contribute to the item 4 of the Resolution, as a member of the IUCN I have been working on raising awareness and educating people from different backgrounds about the close relationship between the peace agreement and the sustainable management of Colombian natural resources.
This has been developed while I was working on Corantioquia, which is the environmental agency of 80 municipalities in Antioquia Region. There I developed multiple workshops on ecosystem based disaster risk reduction and I also implemented Early Warning Systems for flash floods in 12 municipalities. Until recently it was not possible to visit several of this municipalities due to the arm conflict and due to the same, those municipalities require special assistance to gain resilience.
On the other hand, while working as professor of Disaster Risk Reduction at the University Colegio Mayor of Antioquia I included in the curriculum a section to specifically addressed the relationship of the peace agreement and the sustainable development. This worked involded debates among the students and role games.
Finally, as the president of the Geological Society of Colombia in Antioquia, and the coordinator of the Risk Management and Climate Change Group, I have participated in several open talks for general public on sustainable development and disaster risk reduction where I always address the close relationship of those topics and the peace agreement.
This has been developed while I was working on Corantioquia, which is the environmental agency of 80 municipalities in Antioquia Region. There I developed multiple workshops on ecosystem based disaster risk reduction and I also implemented Early Warning Systems for flash floods in 12 municipalities. Until recently it was not possible to visit several of this municipalities due to the arm conflict and due to the same, those municipalities require special assistance to gain resilience.
On the other hand, while working as professor of Disaster Risk Reduction at the University Colegio Mayor of Antioquia I included in the curriculum a section to specifically addressed the relationship of the peace agreement and the sustainable development. This worked involded debates among the students and role games.
Finally, as the president of the Geological Society of Colombia in Antioquia, and the coordinator of the Risk Management and Climate Change Group, I have participated in several open talks for general public on sustainable development and disaster risk reduction where I always address the close relationship of those topics and the peace agreement.
Status
On-going
Describe any challenges encountered in implementing this Resolution and the measures taken
There is a general lack of trust in governmental initiatives related to the peace agreement, especially in Antioquia since there are several powerful actors that are against the agreement and at the same time that have strong influence in the antioquian population. On the other hand, people tend not to see the direct relationship of the peace process with the sustainable development
Please report on the result /achievement of the actions taken
As result of the educational efforts on disaster risk reduction related with the peace agreement, around 250 students of Environmental Engineering, mostly from low income families, have gain awareness on the importance of the peace agreement and its direct relationship with the sustainable development.
The participants of the Early Warning Systems - EWS of the 12 municipalities expressed that thanks to the project they now gained trust on the public government and also expressed that they feel less abandoned. On the other hand, at least in two of those municipalities there are testimonies about how the EWS worked correctly during different flash flood hazardous events, and as result of this there were no victims. This is especially important in municipalities that has been traditionally affected by both armed conflicts and natural hazards.
The participants of the Early Warning Systems - EWS of the 12 municipalities expressed that thanks to the project they now gained trust on the public government and also expressed that they feel less abandoned. On the other hand, at least in two of those municipalities there are testimonies about how the EWS worked correctly during different flash flood hazardous events, and as result of this there were no victims. This is especially important in municipalities that has been traditionally affected by both armed conflicts and natural hazards.
Identify and briefly describe what future actions/activities are planned for the implementation of this Resolution
Future action / activity
Education/Communication/Raising awareness
Description
Continuing the open talks for general public on sustainable development and disaster risk reduction where we will keep addressing the close relationship of those topics and the peace agreement.
Additionally we are planning on organizing a public forum on the relationship of the peace agreement with disaster risk reduction. The goal is to develop the forum in a big public venue.
Additionally we are planning on organizing a public forum on the relationship of the peace agreement with disaster risk reduction. The goal is to develop the forum in a big public venue.
Report status
Published
Constituent type
IUCN Commission on Ecosystems Management 2017-2020