SANTO DOMINGO- The National Office for Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie) announced the update and implementation of the National Plan for Seismic Risk Reduction for the Dominican Republic, which aims to provide strategic guidance to authorities and institutions at different territorial levels and to civil society in general.
The plan also seeks to reduce risk factors in the face of seismic threats and promote the improvement of response and recovery capacities, as well as the resilience of communities that may be affected by the adverse effects of an earthquake.
The lines of action are framed within the priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, in order to ensure their harmonization with the various instruments at the national level and in the international context.
“It is a planning tool that guides actions to improve knowledge, reduce vulnerability factors, and strengthen capacities in all development sectors, in order to reduce the potential impact of seismic events in the Dominican Republic,” said Leonardo Reyes Madera, general director of Onesvie.
The implementation of the plan involved the participation and technical support of important specialists and institutions, both national and international, including: Inka Mattila, representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Xavier Hernández, deputy resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); María Eugenia Morales, Programme Officer, Environmental Sustainability and Resilience Unit, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Ana María Pérez C., Risk Management Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and Marco Antonio Giraldo, International Risk Management Consultant, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Scope of the plan
The scope of the plan is based on the identification of programs, subprograms and projects that are linked to each other, which translates into the interdependence of actions, the complementarity of these and the relevance of a comprehensive approach with the risk management focus.
In a practical sense, the scope of the plan is as follows: to direct institutional action in order to reduce risks from seismic phenomena and facilitate preparedness for disasters of this nature, to establish programmatic lines that can have continuity in the short, medium and long term, defining in an indicative way some intervention priorities.
In that same order, establish links between the different actors of territorial development who have as part of their responsibility the protection of the population and of public and private investments, ensuring a logical order in the implementation of the actions, in such a way as to maintain the system vision and the integrality in the processes.
The National Plan for Seismic Risk Reduction is closely linked to the guidelines of the National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Response (Law 147-02), respecting in all its components the principles of the national risk management policy; additionally, it is articulated in several of its components with the activities developed by the System, created by Law 498-06.
The plan is closely related throughout its content and is organically and functionally integrated with the National Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (2017 – 2030). In order to facilitate the coordination of actions and establish direct links between both plans, the programmatic axes have been unified with the National Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction.
It is also linked to and contributes elements to the National Development Strategy 2010-2030, in its strategic number 4, related to the sustainable management of the environment and adequate adaptation to climate change ; specifically in its general objective number two, related to the development of an effective national system of comprehensive risk management, with active participation of the communities.
Regarding the issue of disaster preparedness and response, it is directly related to the National Emergency Plan and the National Contingency Plan for Earthquakes, which serve as guidance to the Emergency Operations Center (COE).
Institutional aspects:
The National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, and Response comprises several coordinating bodies that will play a fundamental role in the coordination and implementation of the programs within the National Plan for Seismic Risk Reduction. These bodies are as follows: The National Emergency Commission (CNE): Composed of officials appointed by the member institutions of the National Council for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, and Response.
The CNE has a permanent technical team made up of qualified officials, to direct and guide the areas of technical, scientific, economic, financial, community, legal and institutional study in order to help formulate and promote the policies and decisions of the National Council.
Also, the National Technical Committee for Risk Prevention and Mitigation (CTN): Functions as an advisory and coordinating body for risk reduction activities, attached to the National Emergency Commission. The Emergency Operations Center (COE): Functions as a coordinating body for disaster preparedness and response.
Update
The update of the National Plan for Seismic Risk Reduction was carried out in two stages:
Institutional Consultation: Corresponding to the consultation process with the various institutions linked to the subject of seismic risk, brought together by the Seismic Roundtable, under the coordination of Onesvie, as the facilitating/coordinating entity of the activities of institutional articulation and discussion and exchange between the various actors of a governmental and non-governmental nature, aimed at the review and updating of the strategic lines, programs and projects contained in the plan.
