Department of Sustainable Development

The Inter-American Program for Sustainable Development (PIDS, 2006 – 2009)

The 2006-2009 PIDS sets the strategic priorities of action for the next five years, as per seven major strategic areas of action: (i) Sustainable agriculture, the sustainable management of forests and other natural resources; (ii) Water resources, land and health; (iii) Natural hazard risk management; (iv) Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; (v) Coastal zone management and adaptation to climate change; (vi) Renewable energy and energy efficiency promotion; and (vii) Capacity building and institutional strengthening for sustainable development and environmental management.

Strategic actions included under Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change seek to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards through an integrated approach and thus avoid disasters or mitigate their effects on people, infrastructure and the natural resources base that support economic development. Three very distinctive groups of actions are identified:

Hemispheric forum to support actions at all levels

 Reduce vulnerability of economic and social infrastructure;

 Disseminate hazard-prone area maps;

 Foster catastrophic loss protection through risk transfer- insurance industry;

 Foster community-based disaster preparedness and prevention;

 Promote strengthening of people-centered EWS; and

 Address special needs of the SIDS and vulnerable countries in relation to Climate Change and Climate Variability adaptation.

Exchange of information

 Interpret hazard information;

 Support emergency preparedness, planning, investment and scientific research;

 Apply risk reduction measures; and

 Support the establishment of networks for the exchange of experiences and methods in forecasting and mitigation of natural hazards.

Cooperation

 Promote community-based prevention, preparedness, mitigation and response;

 Identify natural hazard assessments and evaluation of financial, economic and physical risk;

 Promote hazard-resistant building practices and standards;

 Foster the study of the use of vulnerability and risk reduction incentives in the property insurance industry;

 Support mainstreaming natural hazard mitigation into national development planning, adoption of building codes and zoning procedures, and the implementation of regional disaster reduction plans; and

 Support coordination.