Disaster management in Peru: a social process

Peru - a land dominated by arid coastal regions, the Amazon Basin and the Andes mountains - is located on what geologists call the Pacific Ocean 'Ring of Fire' due to its intense seismic activity. On average there are 400 earthquakes annually in Peru and there have been catastrophic earthquakes, all greater than 7.0 on the Richter scale, with significant fatalities and major damage in 1940, 1970 and 1976. How are natural disasters managed in Peru and what are the social and demographic challenges encountered? This public lecture will present an overview of the work of the National Institute for Civil Defence in Peru and look at their approach to involve the whole of the community in participative responsibility. In 2014 Dr Faye Bendrups received an award from the Victorian Emergency Services Foundation to visit INDECI (Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil) and participate in the National Earthquake and Tsunami Simulation Exercise in Lima, and discsuss fire management strategies with park rangers in the Macchu Picchu Historic Sanctuary. Dr Bendrups is an ANCLAS Research Associate, Chair of the Victorian Emergency Services Association, VICSES Controller for the City of Melbourne and City of Maribyrnong, member of the Emergency Management Victoria Volunteer Consultative Forum and the ESF Alumni Committee. The lecture is followed by refreshments. Free and open to the public, no RSVP required.