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REGIONAL PLATFORM FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IN THE AMERICAS
INVESTING IN RESILIENCE
THIRD SESION -- SANTIAGO CHILE NOVEMBER 26-28, 2012
HJ: Emilio Graterón Mayor of Chacao in Venezuela.
Polemic statements today!I quote: "The issue of disaster risk reduction is boring for the common people"
Why Mayor? Welcome
EG: Thank you Precisely because it is a subject that many people flee because they see it or displays it as a negative issue,
the reality is that it is only thought at times when something bad happens
and therefore many times those of us who talk about risk are labeled as prophets of disaster
HJ: Exactly. So we should be migrating from prophets of disaster
and I quote again: "to bringing resilience into fashion". How do we make it fashionable? And also, how do we make it a classic?
EG:Of course, this is an issue...
one thing is to see risk reality as what comes before disaster
than to see it in a very different way: risk reality as an opportunity
to talk about the good things than can be done to lower the risk.
(OF COURSE)
This is what brings resilience to the table as a positive issue and then you become a leader for change and not a prophet of disaster
Making things in a positive way to achieve change, to guide your community, your society, the people around you,
as a positive change factor, is certainly a more friendly vision
and also a much more realistic view of the reality of risk reduction and the establishment of resilience
How many of those who are watching us now, we could make a survey; I wish you could do a survey.
How many of those who are watching us now can answer, in the next 30 seconds, if they know what resilience is?
HJ:We'll take that task of making a street video, at some point we will do it It's definitely something we have to sow
Talking about the actions of the municipality of Chacao, towards the building of resilience, what are the main actions that you have taken?
EG:The most important thing is education.
I think we've had a great success and we are very proud of our so called Eco-schools project,
which is also an experience of the integration of sustainability concepts with resilience
to make the integral concept of a school of the future truly viable
(Of course) and that experience has been very successful. It has come far because children have become leaders for change
HJ:What about the micro-zoning of risk? What about the certification of resilience?
EG: This is an effort that has been done,
starting on the definition of the risk factor for the Valley of Caracas and our municipality
and it has helped us to determine the level of risk as accurate as possible, locality by locality and property by property
This allows people to know their level of risk.
This has generated much controversy because there are some who say that we should not alarm people by stating that there is a risk,
and we believe that people have a right to know, the right to be informed,
the right to take steps to reduce that risk, and that becomes an opportunity
HJ:Of course but, do these certifications may influence a little on the value of the property in the real estate market?
EG:Yes, if you are a prophet of disaster you influence in a negative way
If you are a leader of change for resilience it will influence positively
If you do it in a positive way your property will be insured by a clear control of risks,
your property will have all the necessary elements in order to be certified as a building with controlled risk (INDEED)
Therefore this influences positively in the value of the property, even influencing the environment psychologically.
We all have risks; those of us who are more attracted are those who have controlled risk (OF COURSE)
It is not the same to be aware that your risk is controlled,
than to think that someone knows that you're at risk and has not told you
HJ: Of course. Mayor Emilio Graterón recently was recognized by UNIDSR as Champion of the Campaign Making Cities Resilient, My City is Getting Ready!
And I have to say that this news went around the whole continent, a few minutes later we had Twitter
and Google alerts going off and the news was all over
This recognition is for much for what has been done but my question is what's missing? What has not been done in Chacao?
What are the next steps in the framework of the campaign as well as for building resilience?
EG: I think our challenge is to continue turning this into a way of life, locally
Being resilient is not only a reality that is related to risk control, a policy resulting from an international agreement,
I think resilience has to be, is a way of life, to learn how to face reality
and emerge stronger and strengthened with everything that has happened to you in life.
It's definitely a challenge we all have,
and that's why I've always thought that resilience is a wonderful concept and that it can be used throughout life
As a second idea, from the public policy point of view,
we have the challenge of making many cities resilient.
Our country has a very high risk level. (YES)
Work has not been done responsibly and we have to say it in order to integrate all the efforts made in Venezuela,
and that is a challenge that we have before us
And that's not only happening in Venezuela (OF COURSE)
In most of the Latin American countries and in general,
national structures of risk control, 80 00:06:39,501 --> 00:06:51,500 around the world, do not have a strong enough effect so that cities can have strong public resilience policies
and, above all, have the recognition that local authorities leading change for resilience must have
HJ: We heard in your presentation that one of the challenges is access to the budget. How to beat or overcome this challenge?
EG: I think we need two things, first
for the country to get control structures and risk management, etc.., call it what you want,
but I like to call it resilience structures;
it must be national structures but highly decentralized, whose main actor is who is at the face of the action,
which are the cities, and at the end,local authorities
and that the local authorities are free to associate with each other for these issues which are also a very important element
In other words, the State, each State should dedicate in an autonomous way
a sufficiently fair and egalitarian investment in terms of resilience and that this investment is made at the local level. (INDEED)
And the second very important thing is to break down the cities' borders and barriers regarding the access to resources from multilateral
and international efforts made to finance global resilience because, if not, if this does not happen,
all the efforts and the post-2015 agenda will remain a living room agenda
and not a street agenda, and there is the huge difference in supporting local governments
HJ: And this living room agenda to street agenda, we can convert it somehow also supported by social networks
And, how can communication help achieve in co-achieving all these initiatives?
EG:Sure, we should socialize the topic.
You have to turn resilience into a conversation topic. You must put it in the public arena
and the new space is public
In ancient times, the great statesmen went to the Greek Agora,
then large demonstrations were made in public squares
and now the new public space of the 21st century is cyberspace,
therefore we have start this discussion in cyberspace and we must conquer the cyberspace with resilience
and go forward regarding the access to information because,
I repeat, it is the right of all human beings know their level of risk and be prepared to deal with it,
and obviously this new public space has to be the site where this transformation will be achieved. As the ancients did in the Agora,
as it happened in the French Revolution in the public square
and now, as it has to happens in the 21st century, in cyberspace.
HJ: Emilio Graterón, Mayor of Chacao,
who, until a few moments ago had 70 thousand Twitter followers, I can tell you that you already have 70 thousand one followers
Thank you for joining us at the Third Session of the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.
EG:My pleasure. HJ:My pleasure.