Financing Risk Prevention Activities in Mexico: The Fund for Disaster Prevention (FOPREDEN) Enrique Guevara Ortíz National Center for Disaster Prevention ()
Mexico Risk Profile Because of its geographic situation, Mexico is highly susceptible both to hydrometeorological and geological events. Mexico is particularly vulnerable to flooding due to its complex topography and the existence of urban settlements in risky areas, socioeconomic conditions, etc. According to socio economic assessment of the impact of disasters carried out by CENAPED, almost 90% of disasters related to natural phenomena correspond to extreme hydrometeorological events, mostly droughts and flood.
The Future The number of the so called natural disasters in Mexico has increased in recent years, not only because of changes in the weather regimes, but also because of the increased infrastructure and vulnerability of some sectors of the society. Climate change scenarios suggest more severe weather events as storms and tropical cyclones
Examples of prevention actions in Mexico National Risk Atlas Early Warning System for Tropical Cyclones (SIAT CT) Loss and damage assessment Financial and risk transfer instruments
FOPREDEN FOPREDEN is a federal fund that supports disaster prevention by funneling resources to public instances at federal level, states and municipalities, for activities related to risk assessment, risk reduction, and capacity building on disaster prevention. One important aspect of FOPREDEN is that it promotes informed decision making about investment in risk reduction by requiring states to complete a risk assessment (including the development of a risk atlas) before being eligible for financing other projects. FOPREDEN is sustained in an integrated risk management vision, it promotes and replicate model prevention projects. Its resources are included in the annual budget and approved by the Congress
Preventive actions financed by FOPREDEN include: Actions focused on the identification and evaluation of hazards, vulnerabilities and risks; Actions focused on risk reduction and mitigation of the damages caused by the impact of natural phenomena, as well as actions to avoid social construction of risks; Actions to strength the preventive capacities of the population and self protection before risk situations develop. Examples of preventive projects financed by FOPREDEN: Risk Atlas, Early Warning Systems, Studies for Risk Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change, Socio economic studies on the impact of disasters (loss and damage assessment)
Diagram of Operation FOPREDEN contributes with 55 90% of the project cost, and the applicant pays the rest (10 45%)
Research Fund and Strategic Projects The research fund is intended to promote the development of studies for Integrated Risk Management to encourage and support applied research and technology development for disaster prevention and mitigation of risks derived from natural phenomena. Strategic projects submitted by or through Civil Protection Coordination, are considered a national priority and comply with any of the following assumptions: In the event that a risk threaten the national security A risk affects more than one state; Preventive projects that serve as prototypes; Research on issues related to Integrated Risk Management; Projects contributing to greater effectiveness and usefulness of FOPREDEN, Those proposed by two or more public agencies or states FOPREDEN contributes with 100% of the project cost
Conclusions FOPREDEN finances risk assessment and risk reduction actions, which are clearly policy measures that reduce risk of extreme hydro meteorological phenomena. Such is the case of early warning systems, integrations of systems and infrastructure to mitigate the impact of disasters, actions to reduce vulnerability, loss and damage estimation. The attention currently given by authorities to climate change, represents an opportunity for FOPREDEN to promote the development and implementations of projects oriented to reduce vulnerability, particularly in sectors under high risk. Still, there is a wide gap between the total disbursement in reconstruction against the investment in prevention. Not investing in prevention lead to excessive material and social costs which also compromise the sustainable development of our country The prevention, understood as an investment, will represent in the near future substantial savings, which could be used in the development and economic growth of the country
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