The December 1999 Floods in Venezuela, and the role of the UN

1
The December 1999 Floods in Venezuela, and the
role of the UNs 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
Aerial view of flows and alluvial fans
5
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
7
Massive rock slides
Quebrada Galipán
8
Massive erosion and loss of vegetation
Caraballeda
Tanaguarena
9
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 dams 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
Total damage vs. GDP
21
Distribution of total disasters 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 UNs 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 damages 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 UNs Agencies
  levels.
• The key role played by the international
  cooperation.