Making Cities Resilient Report 2012

CHAPTER 4 | What are local governments doing to build resilience
In flood-prone areas, the removal of informal settlements and other unauthorised structures along
waterways is sometimes seen as a proactive measure. Albay Province and Makati City have begun largescale
relocation programmes, in partnership with local NGOs. In Colombo, unauthorised structures on
top of drains and encroachments into canals have been removed. In Kampala, the local government has
sought to evict people encroaching on wetland areas. While in some situations the relocation of informal
settlements along waterways may have the desired impact of preventing flooding, it often has a serious
socio-economic impact on the communities being relocated (see more under Essential 6).
5. Protect Vital Facilities: Education
and Health
Essential 5: Assess the safety of all schools and health facilities and upgrade these as necessary
The safety of schools and hospitals is a top priority for any resilient city. The ‘One Million Safe Schools and
Hospitals Campaign’ sought to reinforce this concept by encouraging individuals, families, communities,
organisations, governments, businesses and other entities to pledge to work for safer schools and hospitals
(www.safe-schools-hospitals.net). This is part of the Resilient Cities Campaign, and builds on the 2006-2007
Global Campaign on Safe Schools, and the 2008-2009 Global Campaign on Safe Hospitals. Many cities have
committed to these principles and several Campaign cities report activities to enhance the construction
safety of schools and hospitals to support their continued operation in the event of a disaster.
The WHO/PAHO Hospital Safety Index (a low-cost tool to assess the ability of health facilities to remain
functioning in emergency situations) was promoted during the UNISDR One-million Safe Schools and
Hospitals Initiative. In Makati City, the Hospital NG Makati applied the Index and the hospital has been
assessed as ‘generally safe,’ meaning that it will not collapse, can continue to function in a disaster, and
is well-organised with contingency plans and trained health personnel. Using customised ‘safe hospitals’
indicators, Barangay health centres have also been assessed as ‘relatively safe.’ (31). Other cities that have
made progress on safe schools and hospitals include Cape Town, Makassar, and Quito. In Cape Town, all
17 Environmental Health Offices and 18 of 80 clinics have achieved a quality assurance rating from South
Africa’s Council for Health Services Accreditation. All schools undergo mandatory safety inspections by
the Health and Safety Committee (33). Makassar has instituted school and hospital safety assessments,
and the departments of Public Works, Education and Health are working on rehabilitating school and
health facilities (38). In Quito, the Municipality is conducting structural studies of schools and essential
city buildings against seismic hazards. This used to be the responsibility of central government, but was
decentralised in 2011. (35)
6. Urban Planning and Building
Regulations
Essential 6: Apply and enforce realistic, risk compliant building regulations and land use planning
principles. Identify safe land for low-income citizens and develop upgrading of informal settlements,
wherever feasible.
The strategies under this Essential are central to reducing disaster risk, but some of the measures needed
to do so are among the most difficult to implement. It is difficult for any city government to ensure that lowincome
households can buy, build or rent housing located on safe sites. Upgrading informal settlements
has become the norm in many cities and this can be linked to disaster risk reduction. But it still remains
politically controversial in many others. Integrating an in-depth understanding of disaster risk into urban
plans and land-use management requires good inter-sectoral coordination as well as detailed local data
on risks and a commitment to disaster risk reduction.
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