Co-evolution between structural mitigation measures and urbanization in France and Colombia: A comparative analysis of disaster risk management policies based on disaster databases

This article examines the major differences between the EM-DAT and DesInventar international disaster databases, which are frequently used as the basis for designing risk reduction programs. We found that disaster prevention policies, whether they are based on EM-DAT or DesInventar disaster type, encourage an increase in urbanization especially when they are only based on structural mitigation measures. Therefore, as they cannot remove all risk of future disasters, mitigation of small to medium-scale events may lead to greater events. Our findings are based on a comparative analysis of two case studies. On the one hand, we study the impact of small events in Medellín, Colombia, while on the other hand we study the Upper Rhone basin mitigation measures, in France.

► EM-DAT and DesInventar record disasters that contrast in scale and in development patterns.
► Similarities of disasters impact at the local level are found in France and Colombia.
► Accumulated effects of minor events have serious economic impacts in the long term.
► There is a co-evolution between structural mitigation and urbanization in flood prone areas. Structural Flood mitigation measures of small to medium-scale events may lead to greater events.