Case Study: Caracas (local hazards)

Question 1

Where is Caracas

Answer 1

Venezuela

Question 2

How does infrastructure make Caracas vulnerable?

Answer 2

Caracs’ infrastructure is poor and run across seismic faults

Question 3

How many water pipes run across a seismic fault?

Answer 3

3

Question 4

How many people live per km2 in barrios?

Answer 4

25,000/ km2

Question 5

How is the population of the city growing?

Answer 5

Rapidly, 3.1% per year

Question 6

Why may the main bridge have to be rebuilt?

Answer 6

The main bridge may have to be rebuilt due to a slip in the plates

Question 7

What is the major inequality in Caracus?

Answer 7

Economic, unequal wealth

Question 8

Is there any planning around hazards in the city?

Answer 8

NO planning around hazards in the city - none in the country as a whole

Question 9

What is the issue with the government in Caracas?

Answer 9

There government lacks stability

Question 10

Which hazards is Caracas exposed to? (6)
TED can sometimes laugh

Answer 10

Tropical storms
Earthquakes
Drought
Cyclones
Sea level rise
Landslide/ rockfall

Question 11

What are social class divisions reflected by?

Answer 11

Social class divisions are reflected by the occupancy of residential areas

Question 12

How did members of the upper class gain wealth?

Answer 12

Through sale of land and real estate

Question 13

Where do the upper class live?

Answer 13

On thé Eastern margins of the valley and the Caribbean coast

Question 14

What do the upper class homes avoid?

Answer 14

Landslides and earthquake risk

Question 15

Where do lower class people live?

Answer 15

In hillside shanty towns overlooking the West and South

Question 16

How do building regulations differ between the city centre and shanty towns?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What is high in Caracas?

Answer 17

Unemployment

Question 18

What % of Venezuelas GDP is based on oil sales?

Answer 18

50%

Question 19

Why has the city focused it’s services in?

Answer 19

Banks
NGO’s
Shops

Question 20

How do planned responses vary around the city?

Answer 20

Each company has its own individual planned responses, rather than city wide, common plans

Question 21

What are the areas most at risk in Caracas? (3)

Answer 21

Transportation and utilities as well as squatter settlements

Question 22

Which university recently developed framework plan for building disaster resiliance?

Answer 22

Columbia Univerisity

Question 23

What are the 3 IMMEDIATE disaster avoidance goals?

Answer 23

Strengthening:
critical infrastructure, housing stock and emergency services

Question 24

What are the more INTERMEDIATE goals? (3)

Answer 24

Upgrading fragile housing units
creating hazard maps
incorporating disaster education into cultural activities

Question 25

What are the 3 LONG TERM goals?

Answer 25

• A fully redundant transport and water delivery framework
• Establishing legitimate land title for squatters
• Relocating critical facilities

Question 26

Which plate boundary is Caracas located on?

Answer 26

The South American and Caribbean boundary

Question 27

At what rate are the plates moving?

Answer 27

2cm/ year

Question 28

How is flooding risk increased by the environment?

Answer 28

The steep slopes of the valley decrease movement time of run off

Question 29

How could Caracas be cut off from the rest of the world in a major event?

Answer 29

If the single highway that links it to go the airport and seaport is damaged. it is located in steep, landslide prone valleys

Question 30

What is the preferred résponse by the government?

Answer 30

Risk zoning - due to lack of funds

Question 31

Why is the city prone to landslide?

Answer 31

It is at the base of the valley, and tropical storms or tectonic activity can cause them

Question 32

Why is the city prone to liquefaction?

Answer 32

Alluvial fans make up the valley floor, which are prone to liquefaction

Question 33

What type if view do residents of the barrios have?

Answer 33

Fatalistic

Question 34

Why do different groups respond to hazards in different ways?

Answer 34

Due to lack of equality in the city

Question 35

How are residents instructed to build their homes?

Answer 35

To orientate them parallel to any debris flows so to minimise the amount of material hitting the building

Question 36

How are the streets laid out?

Answer 36

In a parallel pattern