Outline of the Project

Name of the Project

Project for Safe and Resilient Cities for Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster

Beneficial country

Republic of Ecuador

Date of agreement

11 April 2017

Project implementation sites

Pilot Municipalities (Atacames, Portoviejo, Salinas), Quito and Guayaquil

Duration of the project

17July 2017 to March 2021 (44 months)

Counterpart institutions

Secretary of Risk Management (SGR)
Ministry of Urban Development and Houses (MIDUVI)
Municipalities in the Coastal Region
Municipality of Atacames
Municipality of Portoviejo
Municipality of Salinas

Background of the Project

On April 16, 2016, the earthquake occurred with a magnitude of 7.8 (announced by the U.S. Geological Survey), which was epicentered in the northern part of Manabí Province in Ecuador (due to the tectonic movement occurred at the surface of the boundary between the Nazca Plate and the Pacific plate). More than 660 persons were killed, approximately 30,000 people evacuated, and large numbers of buildings such as houses and schools suffered serious damage. JICA dispatched a team to conduct a monitoring survey of the Project for Enhancement of Earthquake and Tsunami Monitoring Capacity for Tsunami Early Warning in June 2016. This team conducted an assessment survey of the Earthquake Damage as well as monitoring of country-focused training program for Ecuador. The result of the "Earthquake Damage Survey" highlighted the following main factors of the massive damages to people and buildings:

• Disaster Risk Reduction Plan had not been prepared at many of the municipalities, and/or had not been adequately prepared.
• The building regulation was not properly managed.

JICA has been providing support to improve earthquake observation and tsunami analysis technology by implementing the Project for Enhancement of earthquake and tsunami monitoring capacity for Tsunami early warning with Geophysical Institute, Oceanography Institute and SGR from 2014 to 2017. Furthermore, JICA has been implementing, with SGR, the country-focused training program "Strengthen the capacity of community based disaster risk management toward Tsunami" for 10 municipalities in coastal area of Ecuador.

Under these circumstances, SGR and MIDUVI have requested the technical cooperation "Project for Safe and Resilient Cities for Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster" to the GOJ in August 2016 under the joint signature. Having received this request, the GOJ informed official adoption to the GOE in November 2016.

Objectives

A technical assistance structure of the SGR and MIDUVI at the municipal level is established for the reduction of earthquake and tsunami damage, by updating the Risk Reduction Agenda (hereinafter referred to as "ARR"), the evacuation of residents in understanding the tsunami alert and support for improvement of the operational structure of the construction systems.

Expecting Results

Result 1
Pilot Municipalities provide timely assistance to evacuate communities rapidly in response to tsunami warning issued in accordance with Tsunami Warning Technical Protocol.

Result 2
‘Risk Reduction Agenda' focusing on Mitigation/ Prevention and Preparedness is updated by municipalities.

Result 3
Implementation structure of building regulation management in accordance with ‘Building Regulation Management Handbook' is established at a municipality level.

Activities

Activities related to the Result 1

1.1. SGR, IG-EPN and INOCAR update the Tsunami Warning Technical Protocol in due course of regular simulation as well as evacuation drills, and the project members monitor approval processes of the Protocol by December 2017.

1.2. The pilot municipalities, with assistance of SGR, conduct baseline survey concerning understanding level of local community on tsunami evacuation.

1.3. The pilot municipalities, with guidance of SGR, improve tsunami warning information dissemination structure/ protocol/ evacuation plan, which includes vertical evacuation, for local communities including tourists (‘Risk Reduction Agenda' prepared in activities for Output 2 covers evacuation plan(s)).

1.4. The pilot municipalities, with guidance of SGR, carry out capacity development activities for local communities including tourists utilizing raising-awareness materials that produced in the Project, and conduct tsunami evacuation drills utilizing the said materials.

1.5. The pilot municipalities, with assistance of SGR, conduct end line survey concerning understanding level of local communities on tsunami evacuation.

Activities related to the Result 2

2.1. SGR, with cooperation of MIDUVI and other technical collaborating member(s), conducts nation-wise baseline survey on current hazard data of earthquake and tsunami disasters.

2.2. SGR, with cooperation of MIDUV and other technical collaborating member(s), understands feasible contents of ‘Risk Reduction Agenda' (e.g., development of hazard map(s), classification of land use/ development of urban planning) based on the existing hazard information and/or data.

2.3. SGR and the pilot municipalities study techniques and know-how applied in JICA projects for the objective of revision of the ‘Risk Reduction Agenda' (e.g., CISMID in Peru).

2.4. The pilot municipalities, with assistance of SGR, conduct baseline survey on current hazard data of earthquake and tsunami disasters.

2.5. The pilot municipalities, with assistance of SGR, determine an outline of ‘Risk Reduction Agenda', which covers priority area and countermeasure(s) on risk reduction.

2.6. The pilot municipalities, with assistance of SGR, review the existing Contingency Plan and other relevant document(s).

2.7. The pilot municipalities, with assistance of SGR, prepare ‘Risk Reduction Agenda', which gives focus on mitigation/ prevention and preparedness (the updated ‘Risk Reduction Agenda' is referred during implementation of the planned activities for Output 3).

2.8. SGR develops ‘Risk Reduction Agenda Guideline for Earthquake and Tsunami Disasters' that will be utilized by municipalities other than the pilot municipalities.

2.9. SGR provides assistance to municipalities other than the pilot municipalities in revising ‘Risk Reduction Agenda'.

Activities related to the Result 3

3.1. MIDUVI and the pilot municipalities, with collaboration of the technical collaborating members, conduct baseline survey to understand the current situation of building construction permit/ inspections/ occupation permit.

3.2. MIDUVI and the pilot municipalities study foreign building regulation (e.g., Architect and Building Engineer Law, Construction Business Law) as well as JICA projects (e.g., KIZUNA in Chile, TAISHIN in El Salvador) for the objective of development of ‘Building Regulation Management Handbook'.

3.3. MIDUVI and the pilot municipalities, with cooperation of the technical collaborating members, develop ‘Building Regulation Management Handbook (draft)' in consultation with building engineers, construction companies and other relevant association(s).

3.4. The pilot municipalities, with assistance of MIDUVI, develop, execute and update building regulation management plan(s) in accordance with the ‘Building Regulation Management Handbook'.

3.5. MIDUVI and the pilot municipalities, with cooperation of the technical collaborating members, organize seminars on earthquake-resistance/ seismic resilient engineering and building regulation management, which are targeting architects, construction companies, construction workers and other relevant association(s).

3.6. MIDUVI and the pilot municipalities, with cooperation of the technical collaborating members, produce socialization materials on earthquake-resistance/ building regulation management in order to raise awareness of local communities (materials produced by JICA project implemented in El Salvador may be referred).

3.7. MIDUVI and the pilot municipalities organize activities utilizing the materials developed in Activity 3.6 with the objective of raising-awareness of local communities.

3.8. MIDUVI, with cooperation of the pilot municipalities, provides assistance to 3 municipalities in preparing building regulation management plan in accordance with the ‘Building Regulation Management Handbook'.

3.9. MIDUVI and the pilot municipalities conduct end line survey on building construction permit/ inspections/ occupation permit.

Input: Japan side

1. Experts

Long-Term: DRR plan/ Project coordination 1 person

Short-Term:

• Team leader
• Tsunami evacuation plan
• DRR plan (Response, Reconstruction, Mitigation/Prevention, Preparedness)
• Building regulation management

2. Training (Japan, Third Countries)

• Training on ‘Risk Reduction Agenda' in Japan (for senior management (1 time), for technical officers (2 times))
• Training on Building Regulation Management in Japan and/or third countries (for senior management/ technical officers (2 times)

3. Procurement of Equipment

• Equipment related to Tsunami Evacuation Plan (Output 1)
• Equipment related to ‘Risk Reduction Agenda' (Output 2)
• Equipment related to Building Regulation Management (Output 3)

Input: Ecuador Side

1. Counterpart Personnel

• Project Director (SGR)
• Project Director (MIDUVI)
• Coordinators (1 person for each Output)
• WG members for Output 1
• WG members for Output 2
• WG members for Output 3

2. Working Space and Facilities for JICA Experts at:

• SGR
• MIDUVI

3. Project Cost:

• Salary of the counterpart persons
• Domestic travel including accommodation and per diem for the counterpart persons