Preparación frente a desastres de origen natural en ciudades costeras de Chile
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Date
2023
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Abstract
A nivel mundial, en los últimos años se ha evidenciado un incremento progresivo en la magnitud y en el número de personas afectadas por desastres de origen natural, haciendo evidente que las personas están expuestas a múltiples peligros naturales. Si bien no hay país o comunidad inmune al impacto de los desastres de origen natural, es posible reducir las consecuencias de estos eventos a través de estrategias de gestión dirigidas a reducir el riesgo. En la medida que las consecuencias de los desastres de origen natural aumentan, es necesario tomar acciones para reducir o eliminar el riesgo en el largo plazo a las personas y la propiedad. A estas acciones se les denomina mitigación. Sin embargo, no es posible mitigar completamente las consecuencias de un desastre. En este sentido, la preparación adquiere un rol fundamental para reducir las consecuencias de aquellos peligros que no es posible mitigar, ya que busca mejorar las habilidades de los individuos y comunidades para responder frente a la ocurrencia de un evento. Dada la importancia de la preparación en la reducción del riesgo de desastre, y de manera de aumentar las capacidades de las comunidades para hacer frente a estos eventos catastróficos de baja probabilidad y alta 11 consecuencia, es crucial lograr un entendimiento de los factores que influyen en la preparación de las personas. En la literatura de preparación y respuesta frente a peligros naturales, la percepción de riesgo es considerado el principal motivador para tomar acciones de preparación. Sin embargo, también se ha observado que, a pesar de que las personas pueden tener experiencia previa y percibir un alto riesgo, esto no necesariamente se traduce en mayor preparación. Esta relación es aún más compleja al evaluar el nivel de preparación en escenarios de múltiples peligros naturales. Así, la incorporación de otras variables tales como la conciencia del riesgo y la confianza en autoridades es crucial para avanzar en el conocimiento y promover un adecuado nivel de preparación en las personas. La localización en el Cinturón de Fuego del Pacífico convierte a Chile en uno de los países más expuestos a terremotos, tsunamis y erupciones volcánicas del planeta, lo que sumado a una alta frecuencia de eventos hidrometeorológicos (como inundaciones, marejadas y sequías), lo han convertido en el país más expuesto a peligros naturales de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE). Por tanto, el objetivo principal de esta investigación fue estudiar la preparación de comunidades costeras en Chile ante el riesgo de desastres de origen natural y determinar los principales factores predictores, considerado diferencias sociodemográficas y culturales. Para lograr este objetivo, se realizaron tres estudios con dos muestras estadísticamente representativas, en dos de las principales urbes costeras de Chile: Valparaíso (n = 548) y Concepción (n = 585). En el primer estudio se analizó la influencia de la conciencia del riesgo y la confianza en las autoridades sobre la percepción del riesgo y la intención de preparación ante amenazas naturales. Para esto se utilizó una muestra representativa de la ciudad de Concepción, ubicada en la zona centro-sur de Chile (n = 585). Los resultados mostraron que conciencia y percepción de riesgo son conceptos diferentes que deben medirse por separado, ya que la conciencia del riesgo permite que las personas reconozcan e identifiquen el peligro como requisito previo para personalizar el riesgo y, en consecuencia, percibirlo. 12 El segundo estudio cuantificó los niveles de preparación en el hogar frente a múltiples peligros naturales en dos ciudades costeras de Chile: Valparaíso y Concepción. Los resultados dan cuenta que los niveles de preparación de los habitantes de comunidades costeras de Chile se diferencian según cuatro elementos principales: el tipo de amenaza estudiada (terremotos, tsunamis, incendios e inundaciones); las características culturales de las ciudades bajo estudio (Valparaíso y Concepción); las actividades de preparación evaluadas (preparación en el hogar y participación de actividades) y diferencias entre variables sociodemográficas como edad e ingreso. Finalmente, en el tercer estudio se exploraron las diferencias en los niveles de percepción de riesgo, confianza en autoridades y preparación frente a terremotos y tsunamis entre habitantes y turistas en la ciudad costera de Valparaíso. De este estudio se desprendió que habitantes y turistas nacionales no tienen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en los niveles de percepción de riesgo y confianza en autoridades. No obstante, aunque los turistas nacionales pueden tener un grado de experiencia con terremotos, fueron ellos y los turistas internacionales los que mostraron un menor nivel de preparación.
Worldwide, in recent years there has been a progressive increase in the magnitude and number of people affected by natural disasters, making it clear that people are exposed to multiple natural hazards. Although no country or community is immune to the impact of natural disasters, it is possible to reduce the consequences of these events through management strategies to reduce risk. As the consequences of natural hazards increase, it is necessary to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to people and property; these actions are called mitigation. However, it is impossible to mitigate a disaster's consequences completely. In this sense, preparedness acquires a fundamental role in reducing the impacts of those hazards that cannot be mitigated since it seeks to improve the abilities of individuals and communities to respond to the occurrence of an event. Given the importance of preparedness in disaster risk reduction and to increase the capacities of communities to cope with these catastrophic events of low probability and high consequence, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence people's preparedness. 14 Risk perception is considered the primary motivator for preparedness actions in the literature on preparedness and response to natural hazards. However, it has also been observed that, although people may have prior experience and perceive high risk, more is needed to translate into increased preparedness. This relationship is even more complex when assessing the level of preparedness in multi-hazard scenarios. Thus, incorporating other variables, such as risk awareness and trust in the authorities, is crucial to advance knowledge and promoting adequate preparedness in people. The location in the Pacific Ring of Fire makes Chile one of the countries most exposed to earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions on the planet, which, added to a high frequency of hydrometeorological events (such as floods, tidal waves, and droughts), have made it become the OECD country most exposed to natural hazards. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to study the preparedness of coastal communities in Chile for natural hazards and determine the main predictive factors, including sociodemographic and cultural differences. To achieve this objective, three studies were carried out with two statistically representative samples in two of the main coastal cities of Chile: Valparaíso (n = 548) and Concepción (n = 585). The first study analyzed the role of risk awareness and trust in authorities on risk perception and intention to prepare for natural hazards in a coastal city in Chile. A representative sample of the city of Concepción, located in the center-south zone of Chile (n = 585), completed a survey. The results showed that awareness and risk perception are different concepts that should be measured separately since risk awareness allows people to recognize and identify the hazard as a prerequisite to personalize the risk and, consequently, perceive it. The second study quantified levels of household preparedness for multiple natural hazards in two Chilean coastal cities: Valparaíso and Concepción. The results show that the levels of preparation of the inhabitants of coastal communities in Chile differ according to four main elements: the type of threat studied (earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, and floods); the cultural characteristics of the cities under study (Valparaíso and Concepción); the preparation activities evaluated (home preparation and participation in activities) and differences between sociodemographic variables such as age and income. 15 Finally, the third study explored the differences in risk perception, trust in authorities, and preparedness for earthquakes and tsunamis among residents and tourists in the coastal city of Valparaíso. This study showed that the inhabitants and national tourists do not have statistically significant differences in risk perception and trust in the authorities. However, although domestic tourists may have a degree of experience with earthquakes, they and international tourists showed the lowest levels of preparedness.
Worldwide, in recent years there has been a progressive increase in the magnitude and number of people affected by natural disasters, making it clear that people are exposed to multiple natural hazards. Although no country or community is immune to the impact of natural disasters, it is possible to reduce the consequences of these events through management strategies to reduce risk. As the consequences of natural hazards increase, it is necessary to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to people and property; these actions are called mitigation. However, it is impossible to mitigate a disaster's consequences completely. In this sense, preparedness acquires a fundamental role in reducing the impacts of those hazards that cannot be mitigated since it seeks to improve the abilities of individuals and communities to respond to the occurrence of an event. Given the importance of preparedness in disaster risk reduction and to increase the capacities of communities to cope with these catastrophic events of low probability and high consequence, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence people's preparedness. 14 Risk perception is considered the primary motivator for preparedness actions in the literature on preparedness and response to natural hazards. However, it has also been observed that, although people may have prior experience and perceive high risk, more is needed to translate into increased preparedness. This relationship is even more complex when assessing the level of preparedness in multi-hazard scenarios. Thus, incorporating other variables, such as risk awareness and trust in the authorities, is crucial to advance knowledge and promoting adequate preparedness in people. The location in the Pacific Ring of Fire makes Chile one of the countries most exposed to earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions on the planet, which, added to a high frequency of hydrometeorological events (such as floods, tidal waves, and droughts), have made it become the OECD country most exposed to natural hazards. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to study the preparedness of coastal communities in Chile for natural hazards and determine the main predictive factors, including sociodemographic and cultural differences. To achieve this objective, three studies were carried out with two statistically representative samples in two of the main coastal cities of Chile: Valparaíso (n = 548) and Concepción (n = 585). The first study analyzed the role of risk awareness and trust in authorities on risk perception and intention to prepare for natural hazards in a coastal city in Chile. A representative sample of the city of Concepción, located in the center-south zone of Chile (n = 585), completed a survey. The results showed that awareness and risk perception are different concepts that should be measured separately since risk awareness allows people to recognize and identify the hazard as a prerequisite to personalize the risk and, consequently, perceive it. The second study quantified levels of household preparedness for multiple natural hazards in two Chilean coastal cities: Valparaíso and Concepción. The results show that the levels of preparation of the inhabitants of coastal communities in Chile differ according to four main elements: the type of threat studied (earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, and floods); the cultural characteristics of the cities under study (Valparaíso and Concepción); the preparation activities evaluated (home preparation and participation in activities) and differences between sociodemographic variables such as age and income. 15 Finally, the third study explored the differences in risk perception, trust in authorities, and preparedness for earthquakes and tsunamis among residents and tourists in the coastal city of Valparaíso. This study showed that the inhabitants and national tourists do not have statistically significant differences in risk perception and trust in the authorities. However, although domestic tourists may have a degree of experience with earthquakes, they and international tourists showed the lowest levels of preparedness.
Description
Tesis (Doctor en Ciencias de la Ingeniería)--Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2023
Keywords
Preparación, Peligros Naturales, Percepción de Riesgo, Confianza, Conciencia, Intención de Preparación, Preparedness, Natural Hazards, Risk Perception, Trust, Risk Awareness, Preparedness Intention