Regional Assessment on Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Biodiversity in South America A report for the Resilience through Investing in Ecosystems - knowledge, innovation and transformation of risk management (RELIEF Kit) project Regional Assessment on Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Biodiversity in South America A report for the Resilience through Investing in Ecosystems - knowledge, innovation and transformation of risk management (RELIEF Kit) project September | 2016 2 Author James McBreen Revision and contributions Karen Podvin, Fabiola Monty, Radhika Murti, Angela Andrade, Martín Calisto Citation McBreen, J. 2016. Regional Assessment on Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Biodiversity in South America. A report for the Resilience through Investing in Ecosystems – knowledge, innovation and transformation of risk management (RELIEF Kit) project. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Acknowledgements The Regional Assessment on Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Biodiversity in South America is a collaborative effort. We thank the many organisations and individuals who have contributed to this assessment. This report was supported by the Japan Biodiversity Fund under the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as coordination and advice from the IUCN Headquarters, and the IUCN Regional Office for South America. Finally, the author expresses sincere appreciation to all the government agencies, members of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM), members of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), and organisations that provided information and shared their experiences on ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction in the region; especially to the following people for their valuable input to the development of this Regional Assessment: María Augusta Almeida Ferri, Fernando Ardura, Daniel Arteaga, Pablo Azua, Orlando Chuquisengo, Miguel A. Cueva, Dexter Dombro, Elsa Matilde Escobar, Henry Flores Julca, Bertha Cecilia García Cienfuegos, Nestor Roberto Garzón Cadena, Ernesto Godelman, Tarsicio Granizo, Oscar Guevara, Carmela Landeo Sánchez, Tatiana Pequeño Saco, María Pinilla, Susan V. Poats, Wilson Ariel Ramírez, Gunter Reck, Néstor Javier Roncancio Duque, Oscar Saavedra Arteaga, Didier Sánchez, Klaus Schutze, Einstein Tejada Vélez, María Dolores Vera, Próspero Yance and Juan Alejo Zarzycki. Cover photos Left to right: Biosphere Reserve ‘Corredor Biológico Nevados de Chillán-Laguna del Laja’, Biobío Region -Chile © Karen Podvin; Nor-Yauyos Cochas Landscape Reserve, Peru © Anelí Gómez; Hydro-agricultural systems in modern "camellones" in the Bolivian Beni Amazonia © Amazonia Services. Design Tomás Lara Eskola La designación de entidades geográficas y la presentación del material en este documento no implican la expresión de ninguna opinión por parte de la UICN respecto a la condición jurídica de ningún país, territorio o área, o de sus autoridades, o referente a la delimitación de sus fronteras y límites. Contacts Av. República de El Salvador N34-127 y Suiza. Edificio Murano Plaza, piso 12; 170515 Quito, Ecuador. FAX: (593 2) 3331668; PBX: (593 2) 3330 684 www.iucn.org/sur www.portalces.org Twitter: @UICN_SUR Facebook UICN-Sur: facebook.com/UICN.SUR www.iucn.org [email protected]; [email protected] 3 Regional Assessment on Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Biodiversity in Table of contents South America 4 Table of contents 5 Tables 5 Figures 7 Abbreviations, acronyms and symbols 8 Glossary 11 Summary 20 1 Introduction 22 2 Methodology 25 3 South America: Regional overview 31 Socio-economic context 34 Natural hazards in South America 41 3.1 Case study: Argentina 41 Natural hazards 43 Policies and strategies related to Eco-DRF 45 Eco-DRR initiatives 47 3.2 Case study: Bolivia 47 Natural hazards 49 Policies and strategies related to Eco-DRR 53 Eco-DRR initiatives 56 3.3 Case study: Chile 56 Natural hazards 58 Policies and strategies related to Eco-DRR 62 Eco-DRR initiatives 64 3.4 Case study: Colombia 64 Natural hazards 65 Policies and strategies related to Eco-DRR 69 Eco-DRR initiatives 71 3.5 Case study: Ecuador 72 Natural hazards 73 Policies and strategies related to Eco-DRR 78 Eco-DRR initiatives 81 3.6 Case study: Peru 81 Natural hazards 83 Policies and strategies related to Eco-DRR 85 Eco-DRR initiatives 89 4 Eco-DRR experiences in the region 90 Examples of Eco-DRR for biodiversity 92 Role of biodiversity in DRR in South America 96 Economic case for Eco-DRR 99 Protected Area management: integrating biodiversity conservation and DRR 4 102 5 Conclusions 102 Challenges and opportunities 107 Key messages 108 References 123 Annex 124 Annex 1. Country selection matrix 125 Annex 2. Vulnerability matrix 126 Annex 3. Stakeholder matrix 132 Annex 4. Share of occurrence by disaster type per country, 2000-2015 133 Annex 5. Survey format 142 Annex 6. International agreements and policy processes relevant for Eco-DRR 146 Annex 7. Overview of regional policies, strategies and frameworks related to EbA and Eco-DRR in the region 147 Annex 8. Regional cooperation mechanisms / multilateral agreements related or with potential links to EbA and Eco-DRR Tables 13 Table 1. Examples of initiatives on Eco-DRR in the region 18 Table 2. Summary of the key challenges, opportunities and recommendations to promote ecosystem-based approaches for DRR in South America. 27 Table 3. Coastline in South America 28 Table 4. Global Ecological Zones (GEZ) in South America 31 Table 5. Population characteristics of countries in South America, 2014 32 Table 6. Gross Domestic Product by country, 2014 33 Table 7. Total economically active population and share in agriculture, 2013 33 Table 8. Cultivated land and cultivable area in South American countries, 2012 34 Table 9. Principal natural hazards in South America 57 Table 10. Earthquake’s impact in Chile, 2000–2015 63 Table 11. Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction projects in Chile 100 Table 12. The role of protected areas in reducing natural hazards Figures 12 Figure 1. Occurrence by disaster type in South America, 2000–2015 25 Figure 2. Map of South America 25 Figure 3. Topographic relief in South America 26 Figure 4. Koppen-Geiger climate type map of South America 27 Figure 5. Hydrological Basins of South America 27 Figure 6. Rivers in South America 28 Figure 7. Global Ecological Zones in South America 29 Figure 8. SPOT Normalised Difference Vegetation Index 30 Figure 9. World Heritage Sites and IUCN/SSC First-level Habitat Types in South America 5 35 Figure 10. Flood incidence in South America, 2000–2015 36 Figure 11. Drought incidence in South America, 2000–2015 36 Figure 12. Storm incidence in South America, 2000–2015 37 Figure 13. Landslide incidence in South America, 2000–2015 37 Figure 14. Extreme temperature incidence in South America, 2000–2015 38 Figure 15. Epidemic incidence in South America, 2000–2015 38 Figure 16. Earthquake incidence in South America, 2000–2015 38 Figure 17. Volcanic activity incidence in South America, 2000–2015 39 Figure 18. Wildfire incidence in South America, 2000–2015 39 Figure 19. Total deaths and people affected by disaster type in South America, 2000–2015 40 Figure 20. Occurrence by disaster type in main countries, 2000–2015 41 Figure 21. Most common hazards in Argentina, 2000–2015 42 Figure 22. Total deaths and people affected by floods in Argentina, 2000–2015 42 Figure 23. Total deaths by storms and extreme temperatures in Argentina, 2000–2015 43 Figure 24. Argentina’s Proportion of main hazards in the region, 2000–2015 48 Figure 25. Most common hazards in Bolivia, 2000–2015 48 Figure 26. Total deaths and people affected by floods in Bolivia, 2000–2015 49 Figure 27. People affected by droughts in Bolivia, 2000–2015 49 Figure 28. Bolivia’s proportion of main hazards in the region, 2000–2015 56 Figure 29. Most common hazards in Chile, 2000–2015 57 Figure 30. Total deaths and people affected by floods in Chile, 2000-2015 57 Figure 31. Chile’s proportion of main hazards in the region, 2000–2015 64 Figure 32. Most common hazards in Colombia, 2000–2015 65 Figure 33. Colombia’s proportion of main hazards in the region, 2000–2015 65 Figure 34. Total deaths and people affected by floods in Colombia, 2000–2015 72 Figure 35. Most common hazards in Ecuador, 2000–2015 72 Figure 36. People affected by floods and volcano activity in Ecuador, 2000–2015 73 Figure 37. Ecuador’s proportion of main hazards in the region, 2000–2015 81 Figure 38. Most common hazards in Peru, 2000–2015 82 Figure 39. Total deaths and people affected by floods and earthquakes in Peru, 2000–2015 83 Figure 40. Total deaths and people affected by extreme temperatures in Peru, 2000–2015 83 Figure 41. Peru’s proportion of main hazards in the region, 2000–2015 Regional Assessment on Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Biodiversity in South America 6 Abbreviations, acronyms and symbols ASI Agricultural Stress Index CAN Comunidad Andina CAZALAC Centro del Agua para Zonas Áridas y Semiáridas de América Latina y el Caribe, Chile CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CCA Climate Change Adaptation CICC Consejo Interinstitucional del Cambio Climático, Bolivia CNACC Comisión Nacional Asesora sobre el Cambio Climático, Argentina CNR Comisión Nacional de Riego, Chile DCC Dirección de Cambio Climático, Argentina DRM Disaster Risk Management DRR Disaster Risk Reduction EbA Ecosystem-based Adaptation Eco-DRR Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction ECLAC Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean