Capacity-Building Strategies to Improve the Resilience of the Community to Extreme Hydrometeorological Events: The Experience of the Medellin Early Warning System

The global population increase, particularly in urban areas, has a direct impact on the vulnerability of the community. In Colombia, and particularly in the Medellín metropolitan area, settled in the Aburrá Valley, the complex topography, the high population density, and the deficient urban planning have had a significant impact on the vulnerability to extreme hydrometeorological events. Also, observations and model projections suggest that extreme events are becoming more frequent in the region, increasing the hazard level associated with natural events. To improve the risk management strategies, in addition to having a robust hydrometeorological monitoring network, with state-of-the-art in-situ and remote sensing equipment, and skillful numerical weather and hydrological forecasting capabilities, it is mandatory to provide, in real-time, this information to a prepared community, also responsible for participating in risk reduction strategies according to the Colombian law. SIATA (Sistema de Alerta de Temprana de Medellín y el Valle de Aburrá), the local early warning system in the region, is part of the risk management strategy, based on the advancement of science and technology, with capacity building, locally, with the mandate of issue timely warnings to early responding agencies and the community to preserve life. The most challenging task of SIATA is to integrate the research results, the real-time monitoring, and the forecasts to social and educational strategies and neighborhood-scale siren systems seamlessly. We share the transversal strategies followed in SIATA to engage the community, often of low- or no-income. These strategies follow a ludic pedagogy approach, and are co-designed and co-developed with involved citizens, and help to strengthen the resilience of the community. The development of neighborhood warning systems (sirens connected remotely to SIATA command center, and actioned by the 24/7 operations team), with the active participation of the community in three different phases, has opened a permanent and a direct communication channel with the vulnerable regions. The phases include (i) reconstruction of the knowledge of the community of its territory, the most frequent hazards, the vulnerable areas, and the social strengths of each particular community, manifested in their social organizations and groups, and community leaders, (ii) workshops on risk management, and (iii) ludic activities combining phases (i) and (ii) in order to consolidate the group, ending with simulation exercises and evacuation drills together with the first responders. Other transversal strategies include social cartography activities, historical memory reconstruction, watershed hikes with hydrology and geomorphology experts, workshops on the use of digital tools, apps, social networks for risk management, and citizen science activities. The goal of SIATA is to strengthen the local resilience based on an informed, curious, and knowledgable community.