Chile 2012 disaster risk analysis

This document contains information on the conceptual framework of risk management, and relevant approaches in the international context. It describes Chile’s principal geographic, demographic, and socio-economic features, and presents the current legal and regulatory framework for civil protection, as well as a number of complementary frameworks. The document was based on an update of the Chile 2010 disaster risk analysis, aiming to provide a view of the current panorama of risk conditions in Chile that takes into account threat factors, vulnerability, and capacities present in the country; developing values related to reducing disaster risk through capacity building.

The section on risk conditions addresses the different components of risk, including a brief historical analysis of the disasters that have affected the country. Additionally, the section on capacities explores the resources that the country can call upon to face these threats. As a result of the incomplete nature of existing information, the chapter on vulnerabilities provides a theoretical description of the principal vulnerability factors that affect disaster risk in Chile. The document’s annexes include detailed recommendations for stakeholders in the National Civil Protection System, and for international cooperation groups, with a view to enabling rapid contributions to strengthening risk management in Chile.

This document is aimed towards all stakeholders involved in the National Civil Protection System, as well as a wide spectrum of civil society organizations such as universities, private sector groups, and others with an interest in an integrated vision of Chile’s current risk situation.