Samantha Julissa Aazco Abad

9 a 11
Superior Writing
Role of government to face natural disasters
Natural disasters are one of the main causes of deaths and destruction around the
world. Everyday people die due to earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, droughts, volcanic
eruptions and other natural hazards. The government of each country should implement
forecast policies and mitigation measures in order to avoid a lot of damages and to reduce
vulnerability.
Certainly, there are some countries more vulnerable to these disasters. This happens
because of its geological setting and population growth. For this reason, its important that
the development of a city or town must be consistent with the knowledge of natural
hazards. Forecast policies like land use planning, risk insurance or monitoring systems
should be implemented from detailed studies of the risk areas. Cities must grow according
natural hazards. Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is an example of a city threatened by a lot of
natural hazards. It lies on a geological fault, moreover it is surrounded by active volcanoes.
This city has developed its infrastructure without a control policy that considers the natural
risk. It has increased vulnerability in the area.
Indeed, in many cases a forecast policy doesnt work because the risk is imminent.
Mitigation measures are needed to reduce damages and deaths. These measures can be
regulations in building construction, early warning systems, reconstruction plans, risk

diffusion campaigns, and others. As in forecast policies they must be attached to the
development plan of governments.
Actually, in recent years natural disasters are more common and they have more
disastrous effects. In fact on April 16th of this year, Ecuador suffered a terrible earthquake
of magnitude 7.8 and about 650 people died. However, there were not only human losses.
Many cities were almost completely destroyed. One of the reasons whereby there were so
many deaths not was just the seismic movement, but the inadequate way of building the
houses which is a consequence of the absence of a control and system planning to face
natural disasters. Countries such as Chile and Japan have included in their daily lives
contingency plans to prevent further damage to people, infrastructure and ecosystems by
seismic phenomena that threatens them. For example, in 2014 Chile suffered an earthquake
of magnitude 8.2, however the human loses were only seven. In Ecuador or any other
unprepared country this would have been catastrophic. The political system should include
these prevention plans to minimize risk.
The inclusion of risk reduction strategies and plans for disaster mitigation into
development policies of a country make us less vulnerable to natural disasters. Enough
geological and hydrological studies for understanding risk areas in each country are needed
to build susceptibility maps as a basis for risk management.