Risk management and territorial security in an environmental, social and cultural context in Guatemala

We propose making a typology of responsibilities to better understand actions and consequences in the performance of a role in undertaking risk measures (Lenk: 2006). Coping capacity, defined as “the level of resources and the manner in which people use their resources and abilities to face adverse conditions linked to specific hazard, both in normal times as well as during crises”(adapted from ECHO 2004 and UN/ISDR 2009) is an important explanatory factor for understanding the initiatives taken by the inhabitants beyond the event or their exposure to the hazard.

The main objective of this research proposal is to develop new conceptual models that determine the relation between individual and collective responsibility, coping capacity and the usual components of risk (R = H * V * Exp) . We propose to study how disaster preparedness and response are organized through its actors (elected bodies at the national and the municipal levels, native communities, international agencies, research centres, and NGOs) and actions, by mapping the responsibilities and coping capacities that influence and determine main forms of governance and actions. Secondly, we propose to better understand the interplays and interactions between the main components of the risk management equation through our cases studies in Guatemala. We have chosen this developing country as he has high incidences of extreme events, highly vulnerable populations but different economic, forms of governance (formal and informal) and political contexts. A comparison of different contexts enables us to construct a more complete typology of responsibilities, coping capacities and to discern which parameters or factors must be taken into consideration for more effective disaster risk reduction.
We employ multidisciplinary and empirical perspective: political and sociological science that examine public policy and community mobilization; geography, especially the spatial dimension of threats and territorial dimensions of vulnerability and natural resources management. We propose combining social science methods: semi-structured interviews, focus groups, participatory mapping techniques, with geographical mapping of land use and risk of affected areas. We propose strategies adapted to the social and cultural context and promote a comprehensive and holistic risk analysis (Cardona: 2001; Rodriguez and Lavell: 2002; Gellert: 2003 Wilches: 2006; Mansilla: 2000; Maskrey, 2006), which should incorporate complementary objectives of development in the occidental sense and local vernacular knowledge. In this sense we want to draw conceptual and practical links between popular and technical representations of risk. We will use GIS to illustrate and summarize information and relationships.

We want to address these issues by experimentally applying our suggested methodologies and concepts to countries where there is an urgent need for natural risk mitigation (landslides and earthquakes). The Guatemala case is situated along a major active strike-slip fault, named Polochic, that straddles the entire country. The fault crosscuts a very mountainous region, through which it has created a linear series of river valleys and formed a continuous east-west corridor. A series of small cities have developed and, in recent years, the population boom has led to uncontrolled growth.
The territory is ideally suited for our study, because they contain both rural and urban populations highly vulnerable to two major natural phenomenons. Moreover, several landslides and earthquakes have raised the population and local decision makers’ concern about natural hazards and the threat they pose to their development. Some makeshift response has emerged both at the individual and local level, and comes in superposition to a nationwide effort of risk mitigation that is well structured but poorly funded.
Following two field trips recently undertaken in Guatemala, we have already gained the support and the confidence of both the mayor of Uspantán and the chiefs of native communities. Local people are waiting for risk management recommendations, and our team is ready to do its best to provide sound advice.
Based on our case studies, we expect to generate knowledge produced by geological methodologies, hazard estimation and risk representation mapping as well as more integrated, socially based approaches. In addition, using this comparative method, we will develop conceptual and operational models to reduce risks and increase the coping capacity of residents. We want to contribute to developing clearer, comprehensive and relevant risk models for disaster risk professionals.