Project Information
Title: Intervenciones Estratégicas Hacia un Futuro Resiliente
Client: International Community Foundation (ICF) and Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) – 2015
Project Description
Sparked by the landfall of Hurricane Odile (Sep 2014) on the city of La Paz, this rapid analysis identified the impact of the hurricane and served as a catalyst to develop a set of specific strategies to help the city develop towards a more resilient future. The damage caused by the hurricane on the city was assessed through a series of economic analyses, as well as a community survey. The second part of the evaluation relied on prior hazard vulnerability assessments (realized by local agencies and prior GeoAdaptive work in the region), in addition to a spatial vulnerability evaluation of the communities in La Paz. These inputs were used to identify the inherently susceptible areas of the city and help focus the final set of actions. As a result of the efforts of this project a set of city-wide strategies and actions have been identified for the short, medium and long term that will directly address the existing challenges put forth and guide the city to grow, adapt and be more resilient when faced with future adversity.
Probabilistic Risk Assessment
Using the landfall of Hurricane Odile in September 2014 as a starting point, the probabilistic risk assessment identified the intensity of different hazards (floods, hurricanes and increasing temperatures), vulnerabilities and impacts experienced by the city and its inhabitants.
Several studies of vulnerability to climate change have been conducted for the city of La Paz, as part of the platform of “Emerging and Sustainable Cities” and others academic studies examining the possible occurrence of natural hazards. These studies were used as a starting point for the development of this project and analysis components.
This study aims to understand the issues that exacerbate the vulnerability of the city, in order to identify actions to reduce the risk factors, while at the same time increasing the long term welfare of the population.
Mainstreaming Resilience Strategies
This study represents a spatial assessment of urban resilience. The added value of this study lies in its spatial dimension and the fact that it assesses both social and physical resilience conditions, such as municipal infrastructure. In this process, a first assessment was developed specifically considering spatial resilience management capabilities and adaptation, response actions and reconstruction of various sectors, which has enabled more accurate definition of the priorities and specific actions, improving the potential to build resilience in the city and create a more sustainable future.
