Case Study: Caracas (local hazards) Flashcards
Where is Caracas
Venezuela
How does infrastructure make Caracas vulnerable?
Caracs’ infrastructure is poor and run across seismic faults
How many water pipes run across a seismic fault?
3
How many people live per km2 in barrios?
25,000/ km2
How is the population of the city growing?
Rapidly, 3.1% per year
Why may the main bridge have to be rebuilt?
The main bridge may have to be rebuilt due to a slip in the plates
What is the major inequality in Caracus?
Economic, unequal wealth
Is there any planning around hazards in the city?
NO planning around hazards in the city - none in the country as a whole
What is the issue with the government in Caracas?
There government lacks stability
Which hazards is Caracas exposed to? (6)
TED can sometimes laugh
Tropical storms
Earthquakes
Drought
Cyclones
Sea level rise
Landslide/ rockfall
What are social class divisions reflected by?
Social class divisions are reflected by the occupancy of residential areas
How did members of the upper class gain wealth?
Through sale of land and real estate
Where do the upper class live?
On thé Eastern margins of the valley and the Caribbean coast
What do the upper class homes avoid?
Landslides and earthquake risk
Where do lower class people live?
In hillside shanty towns overlooking the West and South
How do building regulations differ between the city centre and shanty towns?
On thé hillside there are no building regulations and no means of escape, everything would be destroyed.
In the city centre l, international building regulation and flat land provides safety
What is high in Caracas?
Unemployment
What % of Venezuelas GDP is based on oil sales?
50%
Why has the city focused it’s services in?
Banks
NGO’s
Shops
How do planned responses vary around the city?
Each company has its own individual planned responses, rather than city wide, common plans
What are the areas most at risk in Caracas? (3)
Transportation and utilities as well as squatter settlements
Which university recently developed framework plan for building disaster resiliance?
Columbia Univerisity
What are the 3 IMMEDIATE disaster avoidance goals?
Strengthening:
critical infrastructure, housing stock and emergency services
What are the more INTERMEDIATE goals? (3)
Upgrading fragile housing units
creating hazard maps
incorporating disaster education into cultural activities
What are the 3 LONG TERM goals?
- A fully redundant transport and water delivery framework
- Establishing legitimate land title for squatters
- Relocating critical facilities
Which plate boundary is Caracas located on?
The South American and Caribbean boundary
At what rate are the plates moving?
2cm/ year
How is flooding risk increased by the environment?
The steep slopes of the valley decrease movement time of run off
How could Caracas be cut off from the rest of the world in a major event?
If the single highway that links it to go the airport and seaport is damaged. it is located in steep, landslide prone valleys
What is the preferred résponse by the government?
Risk zoning - due to lack of funds
Why is the city prone to landslide?
It is at the base of the valley, and tropical storms or tectonic activity can cause them
Why is the city prone to liquefaction?
Alluvial fans make up the valley floor, which are prone to liquefaction
What type if view do residents of the barrios have?
Fatalistic
Why do different groups respond to hazards in different ways?
Due to lack of equality in the city
How are residents instructed to build their homes?
To orientate them parallel to any debris flows so to minimise the amount of material hitting the building
How are the streets laid out?
In a parallel pattern
