RESPUESTA Y RECUPERACIÓN ANTE DESASTRES : COMPLEJIDADES INSTITUCIONALES Y TÉCNICAS EN CONTEXTOS DE POST-TERREMOTO EN CHILE

Abstract

Seismic events can cause significant damage to public and private property and are of vital importance for public management. Recognising the key actors and the critical moments within the rescue coordinating organisations is crucial for diagnosis, data collection and deliberation of people’s transfers to safer places. In Chile, decision making around these processes involves mainly three government ministries. The Ministry of Social Development collects information about people and families affected by the emergency; the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism compiles housing data and allocates transitory or definitive housing benefits for the affected families; and the Ministry of the Interior which, through the National Service for Prevention and Response to Disasters (SENAPRED), elaborate plans and coordinates public and private resources to manage the emergency. At the time, other groups join the coordination response: volunteers, fire units, police officers, civil society groups, and insurance companies, among others. The article explores the institutional and technical complexities involved in the first response after earthquakes in Chile (e.g., data collection, systematisation, analysis, and decision making).