The European Union has announced that it will finance seven projects on disaster risk reduction. "The prevention projects for disasters are a clear proof that with a limited expense it is possible to achieve a very big impact," said Alvaro de Vicente, head of the European Commission Office for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department for South America.
"To give more funds toward prevention not only avoids a bigger expense later, but also avoids a lot of human suffering, especially by the most vulnerable people who generally are the most affected by disasters," de Vicente said. According to Xinhua the projects seek to reduce the vulnerabilities of the Andes Mountain and the plateau region to hazards such as flooding, landslides, and droughts.