The Effect of Planning for Disaster Risk Management in Chile: The Case of the Licanten Community Plan

Abstract

Through a critical analysis of the first Communal Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction prepared in Chile, corresponding to the commune of Licantén, it is possible to observe not only theoretical and methodological shortcomings in its formulation but also weaknesses in its implementation and evaluation. These became evident after the occurrence of two extreme hydrometeorological events that significantly affected this coastal municipality in the Maule Region in mid-2023. Through this case study, the article highlights the need to rethink the entire process of planning for risk management, considering the relevance that these instruments represent in the current legal framework for disaster risk management in Chile. This work also offers some recommendations that are considered timely and necessary for a ‘situated’ governance of disaster risk reduction, especially in the context of the implementation of the new regulatory framework in the country.

Keywords

• gestión del riesgo de desastres
• gobernanza del riesgo
• instrumentos de planificación del riesgo
• inundaciones licantén
• chile