Colombia publishes risk atlas to support Sendai Framework implementation

The Colombian National Unit for Disaster and Risk Management (UNGRD) has recently published the “Colombian Risk Atlas: Revealing latent disasters”. The publication strengthens the understanding of the disaster risks at the national and regional level, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

The Atlas highlights different studies and technological innovations related to natural and technological hazards as well as statistical methods to measure risk for decision-making in the Colombian context. It includes maps that help users understand and manage seismic activity, floods, tsunamis, tropical cyclons, forest fires, landslides and droughts, among other disasters in Colombia. Moreover, it could be used as a tool to identify the municipalities that need to be studied in detail in order to have a better understanding of regional and local risk.

Using an integrated risk index and multi-hazard profiles helps to better understand disaster and risk management processes in Colombia.

Colombia has suffered the socioeconomic consequences of natural hazards and the communities. Usually, the most vulnerable communities are the ones that are less developed and have a lack of planning and institutional management. This is why the Altas emphasizes local case studies, including brief descriptions of probabilistic risk evaluations that were used in decision-making in various cities and regions.

Some examples where space-based technologies and probabilistic indices were used for disaster and risk management are the case studies of Manizales, in the La Mojana region, Galeras Volcano, the Seismic Automatic Instrumentalization Laboratory (LISA) and SISMan LISA in Bogota and Manizales, Medellin, and the risk evaluation of the hurricane in San Andres.