SP1/Bolivia: Building resilience to urban risks: towards participatory governance

Natural hazards like landslides and flooding not only occur in rural but also in urban areas. In the core area of the study, the Bolivian city of La Paz, the citizens and authorities face rapid urban growth on the slopes of the 3800-4000m high hills that surround the city in spite of frequent landslides and flooding.

The exposure to natural hazards is compounded by a political and economic system undergoing crises and transformation. Risk management does not become a priority issue neither for policymakers nor for the exposed people; this raises crucial questions about governance.

In response to these issues, the project analyzes the vulnerability and resilience of the people living in at risk neighborhoods. Research results inform public and private organizations and social actors involved in risk reduction increasing the general awareness towards the problem. Thereby, the project creates spaces for dialogue between political and social actors and enhances the accountability of the municipality towards risk reduction and attention to hazards and disasters.

Project Leader: Luis Salamanca, Fabien Nathan