United Nations Development Programme
Disaster Risk Reduction
Republic of Peru
Flynn Lyon, Forest Hills Northern High School
Natural disasters are one of the few things in the world that strike regardless of ethnic background, religion, or national borders. Their seemingly arbitrary occurrences mean that any country, no matter how significant, is susceptible to the widespread destruction they leave in their wake. They have destroyed entire economies, and left hundreds of millions of people homeless, with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Luckily, the international community has come together in recent years to try and put a limit on the effects of these disasters. Through efforts such as the Hyogo Framework and the Sendai Framework, thousands of resources, dollars, as well as lives that would have otherwise been destroyed have been preserved.
The Republic of Peru is no stranger to Natural disasters. With earthquakes, volcanic activity, and tsunamis all wreaking havoc on the country, Peru has been forced to take preventative measures to ensure the safety of its citizens. In 2011, the country founded its first National System of Disaster Risk Management. (SINAGERD) Through a collective effort between both SINAGERD and many others, including the EU, Peru has significantly reduced the damage done to its communities by disasters such as landslides, earthquakes, and flooding.
The Republic of Peru acknowledges the strides made by the Sendai Framework, but they also realize that more needs to be done regarding International Disaster Risk Reduction. For starters, nations around the globe should each have a department solely devoted to predicting and warning citizens of any and all incoming natural disasters. They should also work to defend the territory in their country against the effects of natural disasters, while simultaneously providing aid and relief to areas that have been undermined by disaster. Secondly, the nations of the world should invest more in technology that has the ability to detect natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, and volcanic activity ahead of time. When it comes to disaster risk management, the most crucial resource we can have is time. More time will allow governments to provide a higher level of protection in areas about to be affected by natural disasters, as well as evacuate more people in the event that a natural disaster reaches catastrophic proportions. Finally, governments around the globe should work to reduce their impact on the environment around them. Studies have shown time and time again that climate change would lead to a spike in the severity of natural disasters around the globe. The easiest way to prevent these disasters from extirpating entire communities is to stop them before the form. By reducing their impact on the environment, countries would help to stop a future in which natural disasters consistently lead to a loss of human Life.
Whether or not these ideals are agreed upon, the Republic of Peru is looking forward to working with other nations to come to a viable solution.
- Flynn Lyon
