Robert Glasser speaking at the World Urban Forum Special Session on Restoring Hope

By Denis McClean

KUALA LUMPUR, 12 February 2018 - Just five months after the September earthquakes which completely destroyed 60,000 homes, more than 30,000 have been rebuilt by affected families provided with cash and technical assistance from the Mexican authorities.

In a first for Mexico, the authorities restored hope to affected communities across seven states, by issuing a total of 170,000 debit cards which allowed each family to draw up to US$8,000 to rebuild or repair their homes, in the first such experiment by the Mexican government.

Jorge Wolpert, Director General, de la Comisión Nacional de Vivienda (CONAVI) speaking yesterday at the World Urban Forum, said the authorities were taken by surprise at the progress of the recovery which focused on providing low-cost earthquake-resilient housing to low-income families.

“It was not something we were envisioning five months ago and the reason for the success is that we entrusted people and accompanied them on the way,” he said.

Similar stories of encouraging community engagement and participation in building back better were shared from the Philippines in the wake of typhoon Haiyan, Nepal (2015 earthquake), Haiti (2010 earthquake), Iran (2017 earthquake) and Mozambique (2017 Cyclone Dineo) in a Special Session on Restoring Hope: Building back cities and communities together after a disaster.

In his keynote address to the Special Session, UNISDR head, Robert Glasser said: “Population growth and economic development means that more people are in harm’s way than 50 years ago in earthquake zones, flood plains, coastlines and dry lands increasing the risk that a natural hazard can become a catastrophe.