International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
The Americas

El Salvador

From HFA-PEDIA

Image:El-salvador-flag.jpg



Contents

HFA National Reports

Preliminary national HFA progress report 2009-2011 (2010): Retracted pending further review

National HFA progress report 2007-2009 (2008): 2008 National Report - El Salvador (HFA Monitor Online Report, July 2008 / Spanish)

National Report 2007: National Report on the Implementation of the HFA (2007) - El Salvador (Spanish)

National Report 2006: National Report HFA El Salvador (2006 update) (Spanish)

National Report 2005: National Report - El Salvador (2005) (Spanish)

National Report 2004: National Report in Preparation for WCDR (2004) – El Salvador (Spanish)

National Platform

A National Platform for DRR was established in 2008 under the leadership of the Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales (SNET) through the direction of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN). In 2009, however, the platform discontinued its activities. Under the current administration, leadership in DRR issues has now shifted to Civil Protection and efforts are currently underway to reactive the NP.


Plataforma Nacional para la Reducción del Riesgo a Desastres - El Salvador

Launching of National Platform: July 16, 2008


Members / Focal Points

National Service for Territorial Studies (SNET)

Technical Contact Person: Ernesto Durán, manager of Risk Management and Territorial Studies (Temporary focal point)

E-mail: fduran@marn.gob.sv

Address: Km 5 1/2 Carr. A Nueva San Salvador, Calle y Colonia "Las Mercedes", Contiguo a Parque de Pelota, Instalaciones del ISTA, Edificio SNET

Tel: (+503)-2283-2241/2267-9522 / fax. (+503)-2223-7792/2267-9520

URL: http://www.snet.gob.sv/


Civil Protection

Address: Comité de Emergencia Nacional (COEN), Edificio B-1, Centro de Gobierno, Ministerio de Gobernación, San Salvador

Contact Person: Jorge Antonio Meléndez López, General Director

E-mail: jormelen@hotmail.com


Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Contact Person: Lic. Eduardo Calix, Vice-Minister of foreign affairs

Address: Calle El Pedregal , Blvd. Cancillería 500 mts.al poniente del Campus II de la Universidad, "José Matías Delgado", Ciudad Merliot, Antiguo Cuscatlán

Tel:(+503)-2231-1086 / fax: (+503)-2231 1348

Other contact: Elizabeth Cubías Medina

E-mail: ecubias@rree.gob.sv


Members of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction:

Ministry of Governance (Ministerio de Gobernación): Coronel Jorge Alberto Barahona

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores): Dr. Elizabeth Cubías, Mr. Miguel Salazar

Ministry of Public Health (Ministerio de Salud Pública): Lic. Gloria de Calles

Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería): Mrs. Elsa Edith de Chavarría

Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación): Ms. María Luisa Benítez

Ministry of Public Works (Ministerio de Obras Públicas): Mr. Roberto Aquino

Technical Secretariat of the Presidency (Secretaría Técnica de la Presidencia): Ms. Patricia Ávila

Social Investment Fund for Local Development (Fondo de Inversión Social para el Desarrollo Local) - FISDL: Lic. Ricardo Lazo

University of El Salvador (Universidad de El Salvador): TBD

José Simeón Cañas Central American University (Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas) - UCA: TBD

National Association of Private Enterprise (Asociación Nacional de la Empresa Privada) - ANEP: TBD

National Red Cross Society (Cruz Roja Salvadoreña): TBD

Centre for Disaster Protection (Centro de Protección para Desastres) - CEPRODE: TBD


Of interest

Presented in the global meeting of National Platforms at the II Session of the Global Platform -GP09- in Geneva, Switzerland, 15 June 2009

HFA National Focal Point

Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales

Address: Km 5 1/2 Carr. A Nueva San Salvador, Calle y Colonia "Las Mercedes", Contiguo a Parque de Pelota, Instalaciones del ISTA, Edificio SNET

Phone: (+503)- 2283-2241 / fax (+503)-2223-7792


Contact person: Ernesto Durán, Gerente de Gestión de Riesgos y Estudios Territoriales (Temporary focal point)

E-mail: fduran@marn.gob.sv


Technical focal point:

Ernesto Durán, Gerente de Gestión de Riesgos y Estudios Territoriales

Tel: (503) 2267-9528/9522 / Fax: (503) 2223-7791

E-mail: fduran@marn.gob.sv


Sistema de Protección Civil - Prevención y Mitigación de Desastres, El Salvador

Address: 15 Avenida Norte y 9a Calle Oriente, Torre del Ministerio de Gobernación, Centro de Gobierno, San Salvador, El Salvador, C.A.

Tel: (503) 2281-0888; 2527-7298

E-mail: coe@proteccioncivil.gob.sv


Contact person:

Jorge Antonio Meléndez López, Director General

Tel: (503) 2527-7120, fax: 2527-7123

E-mail: jormelen@hotmail.com

Other contacts

Permanent Mission of the Republic of El Salvador to the United Nations in Geneva

Chief:

His Excellency Mr. Byron Fernando Larios López

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

Address: Rue de Lausanne 65, 1202 Geneva

Tel: +(41-22) 732-7036, Fax: +(41-22) 738-4744

E-mail: mission.el-salvador@ties.itu.int


UN System Coordination

UNDG: UNCT El Salvador


UN Resident Coordinator

Ms. Jessica Faieta

E-mail: jessica.faieta@undp.org


UNDP

Sr. Beat Rohr

3a Calle Poniente No. 4048, Entre 77 y 79 Av. Norte, Colonia Escalón, P.O. Box 1114, San Salvador - El Salvador

Tel: 00(503)263-3369 / Fax: 00(503) 263-3501

E-mail: registry.sv@undp.org

URL: http://www.undp.org.sv


PAHO/WHO Field Office

Contact Person: Dr. Priscilla Rivas-Loría, PAHO/WHO Representative

Address: 73 Avenida Sur No. 135, Colonia Escalón, San Salvador, El Salvador / Apartado Postal 1072, Sucursal Centro, San Salvador, El Salvador

Phone: (+503)2298-3491/2223-8372/2298-3306/2223-5582/2279-1591/2279-4231/2279-1650/ 2298-0021 / Fax:(+503)2298-1168

E-mail: e-mail@els.ops-oms.org

Website: www.ops.org.sv/


National Emergency Committee (COEN)

Address: Ministerio de Gobernación Edificio B 1, Planta 2, Plan Maestro, San Salvador

Phone: (+503) 2233-7555 / Fax: (+503) 2211792

Website: www.gobernacion.gob.sv/eGobierno/Direcciones/COEN/


Civil Defense

Contact person: Ing. Salvador Rosales, General Director

Address: Comité de Emergencia Nacional (COEN), Edificio B-1, Centro de Gobierno, Ministerio de Gobernación, San Salvador

Phone: (+503) 2233-7555/2228-1088 / fax: (+503) 2221-3976

E-mail: salvador.rosales@gobernacion.gob.sv

Website: www.gobernacion.gob.sv/eGobierno/Direcciones/COEN/


Centro de Protección para Desastres (CEPRODE)

Address: C. Holguín Av. Palma Soriano, No. 171, Urb. Yumuri, San Salvador

Phone: (+503) 275-9107/260-1998 / fax: (503)2260-1182

E-mail: ceprode@telesal.net,

Website: http://www.ceprode.org.sv/


FUDECIT

Address: Col. Miramonte Poniente, Calle Las Arboledas, 427, San Salvador. El Salvador

Tel: (+503)261-0459 / fax: (+503) 261-045,

E-mail: fudecit@es.com.sv


Central American Community Network for Risk Management (REDCOM)

Address: Col. Miramonte Poniente, Calle Las Arboledas, 427, San Salvador

Phone: (+503) 261-0459/284-3913 / fax: (+503) 261-0459/284-4673


Secretary General of the Central American Integration System (SICA)

Regional Committee for Water Resources (CRRH)

Address: Blv. Orden de Malta No. 470, Urb. Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlán

Phone: (+503) 2248-8800 / fax: (503) 2248-8899

E-mail: info@sgsica.org

Website: http://www.sgsica.org/


Salvadoran Red Cross

Address: 17 Calle Poniente y Avenida Henry Dunant

Phone: (+503) 222-5755/222-5155

E-mail: rela.pub.cruzroja@salnet.net

Website: http://www.elsalvador.cruzroja.org/

Country Profile

Official name: Republic of El Salvador

Capital: San Salvador

Population: 6,948,073 (July 2007 est.)

Total area: 21,040 sq km

Languages: Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Government: republic

Ethnic Groups: mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%

Religion: Roman Catholic 83%, other 17%

Currency: US dollar





Geographical Description (about hazards and disasters)

El Salvador is located in Central America, between the north and south of the American continent. The territorial extension is approximately 21.040,79 km2, 296 km. Of coastline in the Pacific, which stretches along the country. Geographically, the country is located at latitude in the northern hemisphere. The annual rainfall varies between 1,200 mm and 2,800 mm, and has an average annual temperature between 12.7 ° C and 26.9 ° C. Two parallel mountain ranges from west to east divided the country into two regions: central highlands and mountains, plains and the coast (lowlands of the Pacific). The mountain range south comprises 20 volcanoes. Earthquakes occur frequently due to the confluence of three tectonic plates (Coco, Caribbean and North America) and the existence of numerous local failures. Due to its geographical location, natural dynamics and territorial El Salvador has been historically subjected to different natural hazards, such as earthquakes, tropical storms, droughts, volcanic activity, landslides and floods, which, together with the processes of social transformation (the Deforestation, changes in land use and modification of the natural channels), conducive conditions of risk and pose a high potential for disasters that occur.

According to the Ministry of the Environment through the Directorate of the National Service for Territorial Studies (SNET), about 1,970 square kilometres of the country are exposed to severe impacts and moderated by floods and also more than 4,040 square kilometres are exposed to various types of landslides and more than 10,000 square kilometres are likely to be affected by severe drought, moderate or weak. The slides slope affecting especially the mountain range in the country (Chalatenango) and the high slopes with gradients of the volcanoes. The landslides induced earthquakes are concentrated in the area of the Balsam Mountains and on the slopes of active volcanoes and remaining strong. Studies in the seventies showed that seismic activity in the territory of El Salvador is present in the north, northeast, south and southeast, and also there are other types of faults with other guidance, some facing perpendicular to the country and other north - south. The El Niño, which has been felt more strongly in the years 1972, 1976, 1987, 1991, 1994 and 1997, has played a determining factor in the drought of El Salvador. In the last century, there have been 23 events drought in the territory; the period 1997-1998 has been to a greater economic impact because of their intensity and area of influence, the last drought occurred in 2001.

The hydrometeorological phenomena affect recurrently much of the country during the rainy season, the most affected areas are the lower basins of the rivers, the area around the channels and some sites of the cities in the metropolitan area of San Salvador and San Miguel ; latter was due to inadequate drainage, waterworks and the excesses of garbage or sediment in the channels. In recent years, the damage and losses from floods have increased in the country by variety of factors, such as increasing urbanization, changing land use from the upper basins, the location of human settlements without control or order in Areas of flooding, erosion increased by changes in land use and deforestation, poor or non-existent management of watersheds, deficiencies in urban planning and settlement, and changes in the temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall


Institutional Level

El Salvador in compliance with the agreements with CEPREDENAC and with the support of other international agencies, has implemented various projects to strengthen national institutions related to the issue of risk and disasters; between them are mentioned: Diplomate on Risk Management (aimed at professional and technical upper tier university), Project Multiamenazas San Salvador Volcano (favored the acquisition of seismic-monitoring stations hydrometeorological) Modernization Project Facility Management Information System National Emergency El Salvador (allowed provide a central server computers and the centres of emergency operations department) and Project Early Warning Systems (TSS) (generated a methodological proposal for the design and implementation of TSS).

Through the Executive Decree No. 96 of September 14, 2001, establishing the National Service for Territorial Studies (SNET, a decentralized public institution, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. The main objective of SNET is contributing to the prevention and disaster risk reduction, therefore competition will be their research and studies of the phenomena, processes and dynamics of nature, the environment and society, which are related directly and indirectly with the probability of occurrence of disasters, and therefore losses and physical damage, economic, social and environmental issues. It derive such other functions and responsibilities assigned to SNET, which has been divided into four units: Geological Service, Weather, Water and Territorial Studies and Risk Management. These are supported by the Information Services Unit and the Administrative Unit and General Services. On May 18 of the Year 2007, was published in the Diario Oficial, Executive Decree no. 42, the National Service for Territorial Studies, becomes part of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources as an address of the same.

In El Salvador, the emergency management is done through the National Civil Protection System, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, with the responsibility of formulating and implementing their respective work plans of Civil Protection, Workplans prevention Risk Management disasters and mitigate the impacts of these.

That in turn is composed as follows: A) The National Commission for Civil Protection, Prevention and Disaster Mitigation. B) The Department of Civil Protection Committees, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation C) The municipal commissions and Communal Civil Protection, disaster prevention and mitigation. One component of the National Emergency Plan is the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), which aims to coordinate efforts and inter-sectoral in the national territory from a declaration warning. The COE has a procedures manual and functional organization created in 2001, which contains the organizational structure, functions and institutional response plans, as well as the logistics for the operation and coordination to the emergency. It is important to mention the participation of the country at different levels of the State, as can be seen in the establishment of the National Commission for Civil Protection, authority which is constituted by: 1) The Minister of the Interior as Chairman. 2) The National Director of Civil Protection, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

And holders A) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs B) The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance C) The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock D) The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources E) The Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Housing and Urban Development F) The Ministry of National Defense G) The Ministry of Education H) The National Civil Police I) Two representatives of the Private Enterprise J) Three associations or foundations related to Civil Protection, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

Urban indicators

Indicator 2030
Total population (thousands) 8,935.3
Population in urban (thousands) 6,205.6
Population in slums (thousands) N/A
Population in urban areas (% of total population) 69.5
Population in slums (% of urban population) N/A
Annual urban population growth rate (%) N/A
Annual slum population growth rate (%) N/A
Population with access to improved sanitation (% of urban population) N/A
Population with access to improved water (% of urban population) N/A
Population with sufficient living area (% of urban population) N/A
Population with durable structures (% of urban population) N/A
Population in rural (thousands) 2,729.7
Source: UN-Habitat - The data presented here is extracted from UN-HABITAT's Global Urban Indicators database.
The data is drawn from different sources and based on 2030 estimates.

Case study: Development promotion from a risk management perspective, El Salvador

The Lower Lempa Valley in El Salvador covers an area of some 880 square kilometres that is recurrently affected by flooding, minor landslides and drought. This area is characterized by poverty levels of over 70%, occupation by resettled ex-combatants from the civil war years, and agricultural production primarily for local consumption and, increasingly, for export.


Seriously affected by flooding related to Hurricane Mitch in 1998, the area has regularly demanded disaster risk reduction attention from the national government. Until 2001, this had mainly consisted of dyke building, river dredging exercises and attempts to introduce an early warning system for flood-related risks. The area had been typified by a division between the west and east banks, where the dominant local organizations professed different, and at times, antagonistic philosophies on development.


A new strategy for development in the area was inspired by a Salvadorian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MARN) project financed by the IADB. The project was informed by risk management goals and principles, and worked with the two major organizations and other smaller NGOs and municipal governments.


The central notion was that transformation in employment and livelihood options was a crucial component of risk reduction, and thus the plan should emphasize ways that risk reduction and development promotion could be enhanced on a parallel front. Design of the strategy was achieved using participatory diagnostic techniques whereby the population participated actively in the diagnosis and identification of development-based risk reduction instruments and schemes.


The final strategy document called for investment in such diverse aspects as:

  • woodland recovery on the river banks as a means for flood control and generation of new employment opportunities
  • road construction linking reliable and efficient land to routes out of the zone
  • storage facilities for agricultural products so as to be able to avoid forced sale of goods to unscrupulous commercial intermediaries
  • provision of potable water supplies in order to combat water-related disease during floods and offer a permanent measure of every-day security to the local population
  • early warning systems and continuity of dyke strengthening and river dredging.


This combination of measures attempted to broach the risk reduction theme from the angle of livelihood strengthening and direct risk reduction measures. A very important aspect in the proposed scheme was the creation of a local, representative development support organization that could bring together the opposing factions in the area and negotiate new projects with a shared direction and purpose. The development of a second stage, an early warning system for flood-related risk financed through international funds demonstrates the ongoing effectiveness of this model.

(Source: UNISDR; GAR, Box 6.15, p. 170)

Climate change


Recent progress towards the implementation of the HFA

DRR is included as a priority area within El Salvador’s CCA-UNDAF


El Salvador: Statement made at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (2009) (Spanish only)

An Official Statement made by Ana Elizabeth Cubias Medina, Directora General Adjunta de Desarrollo Social Integral, El Salvador, at the second session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, June 2009.


Concrete advancements and achievements mentioned at GP09:

  • PA1: There are many DRR achievements thanks to the legal framework - “Civil Protection Law” created in 2005
  • An operational National Platform created in July 2008 having improved the institutional coordination regarding DRR.
  • Risk identification and early warning have been well carried out.
  • Increasingly improved interaction among education, technology and knowledge at the national level.


HFA P1 - Institutional and legal framework

Development of the national plan of civil defense

Development of prevention and disaster mitigation legislative decree n.777

Development of the disaster mitigation fund


(Source: based on national progress report for the Global Platform)

HFA P2 - Risk identification and EWS

Development of governmental indicators for monitoring DRR index of disaster deficit (IDD);local index of disaster(IDL);index of risk management (IGR)


HFA P3 - Knowledge and education

El Salvador through its national land use survey, SNET; has helped to developed a disasters regional atlas of natural threats in central America


HFA P4 - Risk applications

Implementation of mitigation measures for flood risk reduction in the metropolitan area of San Salvador


HFA P5 - Preparedness and response

N/A

Other Areas

Other Documents

El Salvador general regulation on civil protection, prevention and mitigation of disaster submitted in support of the El Salvordor 2008 report on the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action.

Web Links

PreventionWeb - Country Profile - Natural Disaster - El Salvador Data and Statistics

El Salvador Coordination Profile; United Nations Development Group (includes Common Country Assessment - CCA, United Nations Development Assistance Framework - UNDAF, MDG Reports, UN Country Team, Resident Coordinator's Office and more)

EM-DAT Country Profile - Natural Disaster El Salvador

ReliefWeb Countries and Emergencies - El Salvador

UN/ISDR - UNEP/DEWA/GRID-Europe El Salvador

Ministry of Public Works, Transport, Housing and Urban Development

Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources

National Service for Territorial Studies (SNET)

El Salvador's National Climate Change Website (Spanish, Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARN))

Environmental Management Project of El Salvador (FORGAES)

Service for studies and risk management of the National Service of Territorial Studies

MDG Profile: El Salvador

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