69501 Uruguay: Public Policy Integration of Risk Management of Hazards of Water Origin Background Quick Facts Uruguay is affected by floods more than by any other  Grant Amount: US$100,000 adverse natural events. In the last decade, floods  Grant Duration: 2009-2010 corresponded to about 50 percent of all the extreme  Bills Submitted for Congress Review: 3 events registered by the National Emergency System  National Policy Plans with DRM: 3 (SNE). Since 2000, more than 67,000 people were  Capacity-Building Events Organized: 8 evacuated across the country due to floods. The 2007  Floods are the most significant adverse natural events floods, the worst recorded in the last 50 years, affecting Uruguay. affected more than 100,000 people, public support these activities, and at the same time it was infrastructure, and the agricultural sector with losses able to strengthen DINAGUA’s institutional capacity to estimated at US$20 million. In addition to an increase support DRM at the national and local levels. in rainfall intensity, floods have intensified as a result of poor storm-water systems in cities. According to a Approach recent assessment, 60 Uruguayan cities have drainage The objective of the grant was to strengthen the deficiencies, of which 70 percent are considered response of DINAGUA to extreme flooding events by (i) significant. introducing disaster risk reduction into legal and In 2005, the National Directorate of Water (DINAGUA), national policy frameworks, (ii) assisting in the a policy-making institution in the Ministry of Housing, establishment of a disaster risk reduction unit, and (iii) Land Management and Environment (MVOTMA), was providing knowledge and capacity enhancement created with a mandate to develop national policies opportunities at the national and local levels. The concerning water supply and sanitation, water grant financed advisory work, training, and workshops. resources management, and water-related risk DINAGUA housed consultants, coordinated workshops management issues. In 2007, DINAGUA created a and interagency meetings, and executed the studies. multidisciplinary team to begin working on this issue using a disaster risk management (DRM) approach. The core approach was to support DINAGUA’s policy- Between 2007 and 2009, this team, through a World maker role in the water sector in order to move Bank technical assistance loan, was able to increase forward the DRM agenda focusing on flood prevention awareness among policy-makers, local government and mitigation. The project was designed with strong officials, and community leaders. In parallel, Congress multi-institutional and cross-sectoral participation, as was reviewing three bills with disaster risk the introduction of new regulations and their management elements that were later approved: (i) implementation depended on several national the National Water Law (2009), (ii) Land Use and agencies and local governments. In addition, through Sustainable Development Law (2008), and (iii) National the development of a pilot project in the City of Emergency Law (2009). Artigas, DINAGUA demonstrated the application and importance of risk maps in land use planning, Although these three laws represented a significant step in the right direction, much work was still facilitating the dialogue with other local governments required, especially in the development of the and national agencies. The knowledge base activities regulatory framework and the incorporation of focused on several technical and policy workshops to disaster risk in national policies. Furthermore, DRM increase DRM awareness and create local capacity. was still new in Uruguay, thus requiring support on Results knowledge base activities to deepen DRM The project contributed significantly to mainstreaming understanding among all stakeholders and create flood risk reduction across institutions, policies, and instruments to help local governments with the legislation, and to raising awareness of DRM: implementation of mitigation measures included in the new laws. DINAGUA was a new agency with limited  A Flood Risk Management regulation is to be resources. The GFDRR grant enabled DINAGUA to included in the land use and emergency response conducting eight events with a total of 650 system regulatory frameworks pending participants from local and national institutions, Congressional approval. The technical aspects of including city and department officials, emergency the regulation are completed, and the draft text is response coordinators, academics, and currently under legal review. professionals from the National Directorate of  An urban drainage regulation is to be included in Land Use Planning (DINOT) and the National the land use regulatory framework pending Directorate of Housing (DINAVI). Congressional approval. DINAGUA continues  Real flood curves and digital images from the working on the technical aspects of the regulation November 2009 – February 2010 floods have been with the participation of key stakeholders. developed and are being used to reinforce existing  National guidelines for the development of flood models. risk maps, including criteria to create hazard maps and vulnerability profiles, have been developed. Partners The main government counterparts for the execution of the grant included representatives from DINAGUA, DINOT, DINAVI, the National Emergency Response System, the Department of Artigas, and the National Planning Department. In addition, DINAGUA also worked with other local governments, the Uruguayan Air Force, the engineering and surveyors’ association, NGOs, and community leaders. Leverage and Next Steps The multidisciplinary group that was informally created in DINAGUA in 2007 is now formally institutionalized and has an operational budget One of the flood risk maps developed under the grant assigned to it by the recent National Budget Law. In addition, DINAGUA and the National Planning  DINAGUA has a list of priority cities for risk Department created a technical policy group to reduction intervention based on the application of support local governments with the design and the flood risk map guidelines. construction of urban stormwater projects and to  The City of Artigas has a flood risk map developed mobilize financial resources. DINAGUA continues with interagency collaboration and community working on the legal aspects of the flood risk participation. The map has been incorporated into management regulation, the technical aspects of the the Local Plan for the City of Artigas and the urban drainage regulation, as well as on supporting Development Plan for the Department of Artigas, other policy initiatives related to disaster risk. These one of the poorest and most vulnerable achievements are instrumental for the sustainability of departments in Uruguay. disaster risk management in Uruguay.  The National Agenda towards Integrated Water Resource Management includes a chapter on Project Team disaster risk management. Alejandra Cuadrado  The 2009 National Plan to Respond to Climate Cecilia Laffitte Change includes a chapter on integrated risk Daniela Larrea management. Adriana Piperno  The National Housing Plan 2010-2015 includes flood risk measures, as well as guidelines to determine risk zones to assist the National Contact Relocation Plan for people living in highly flood- Carmen Yee-Batista, Water & Sanitation Specialist, prone areas. cyeebatista@worldbank.org,  DINAGUA increased local DRM capacity by +1(202) 473-3115 www.gfdrr.org/gfdrr/rr Updated April 2011 GFDRR is able to help developing countries reduce their vulnerability to natural disasters and adapt to climate change, thanks to the continued support of its partners: ACP Secretariat, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Haiti, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, Yemen, IFRC,UNDP, UN/International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, and the World Bank.