This space is dedicated to promote the work of the local governments participating in the Global Campaign "Making Cities Resilient: Mi City is Getting Ready". Every month, experiences on how local governments deal with risk management in the Americas will be presented.

Municipality of the Month

Autonomous Government Decentralized Canton Municipal El Empalme, Ecuador

By: UNDRR The Americas

The Canton of El Empalme is located in the Province of Guayas in the Republic of Ecuador. It has a territorial extension of 648.90 km2 and a population of more than 81,000 inhabitants. It is exposed to natural phenomena such as drought, earthquake, flood, landslides and forest fires. Among the actions carried out by the municipality to reduce the risk of disasters and increase resilience, the application of the essential ones stand out:

Essential 8: To increase the resilience of infrastructures, by means of the construction of drainage ducts, to mitigate the impact of the annual floods on the population settled irregularly on natural stereos. With these mitigation works, this threat has been reduced almost entirely, also reducing the vulnerability of all dwellings located in sectors bordering the estuaries.

Essential 6: Strengthen institutional capacity for resilience, through training directed at Response Institutions, technical staff of the Risk Management Units of the cantons of the Province of Guayas and GADM staff, especially the Departments of Public Works and Urban Planning and Territorial Ordering, on the IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SENDAI FRAMEWORK FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE RISK OF DISASTERS 2015-2030 from the global to the local dictated by UNDRR.

Essential 9: Ensure an effective response to disasters, through training addressed to Response Institutions, technical staff of the Risk Management Units and GADM staff, on the INITIAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT (EVIN) issued by the Secretariat of Risk Management , With the endorsement of the Decentralized Municipal Government El Empalme. Where the capacities of the people in the post Incident information gathering were strengthened.

Finally, Essential 10: Accelerate recovery and rebuild better, through delivery to humanitarian assistance by the GADM El Spalme to families who have been affected by the loss of their homes or belongings due to an adverse event.