Department of Sustainable Development

Santa Cruz Summit on Sustainable Development

The Plan of Action of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 1996, was structured in five main areas: (i) Health and Education; (ii) Sustainable Agriculture and Forests; (iii) Sustainable Cities and Communities; (iv) Water Resources and Coastal Areas; and (v) Energy and Minerals. Directives related to natural disaster mitigation are embedded in several initiatives across the five thematic areas. The following are the most relevant:

Initiative 6. Promote the inclusion of disease outbreak response and disaster planning, preparedness, and mitigation in national development plans; seek to establish, as appropriate, regional emergency response teams and regularly test contingency plans; and promote the establishment of appropriate building construction codes that include regulatory and enforcement mechanisms through the sharing of technical information and expertise.;

Initiative 43. Promote the exchange of information and experiences among the mayors of the Hemisphere regarding the most appropriate practices for urban environmental stewardship, promotion of non-polluting consumer practices, sustainable transportation, environmental impacts and sewage treatment;

Initiative 45. Foster the inclusion of sustainable development in the plans for urban development, including mechanisms for evaluating environmental impacts; and

Initiative 57. Cooperate in the development, strengthening and implementation of pollution prevention programs and regional disaster plans, including contingency and response arrangements to combat the impacts on water sources, oil spills and other forms of pollution which have an impact on water sources.