According to figures from the World Bank, more than 90% of population growth in developing countries occurs in cities. For the year 2012, the urban population in Latin America and the Caribbean was 76% of the total population of the region, while in the case of Venezuela, 94% of the population lives in cities. In the Venezuelan case, the unplanned growth of cities is mostly in risk-prone areas, through insecure construction models, inadequate management of fluvial resources and solid waste, and nonexistent emergency services.
Part of the objectives to be achieved in the workshop through the risk mappings developed, consisted of obtaining data that will help to size the problem, because in this way there is a closer approach to the evaluation of the feasibility of the implementation of risk management projects. The workshop was carried out in the following phases:
Risk studies of the Physical Planning Units of the Metropolitan Area of Caracas, divided into work teams. In this stage, of urban scale, the mapping of different situations of risk associated with rain, landslides, landslides, floods, pollution, among others, was achieved.
Discussion about the problems detected in each UPF, agreeing as strategies for disaster risk reduction: MITIGATE, RELOCATE, CONNECT, RECOVER and EQUIP.
Preparation of individual proposals in line with the agreed strategies for risk reduction in critical areas of each UPF.
Another objective of the workshop is the raison d’être of this publication, the dissemination of the studies carried out by this group of students, of which I was a part, in order to take force and promote future research on such a relevant topic in our city.