Natural hazard risk management in the Chilean drinking water industry: Diagnosis and recommendations

Abstract

Disaster risk management in water infrastructure is still a world challenge. In this study, we present and discuss the results of an extensive survey conducted to Chilean water companies focused on disaster risk management in the production of drinking water. The main conclusions were: i) there is significant heterogeneity in the practices applied by water companies; ii) water companies use a large variety of tools to manage natural disasters; iii) earthquake is the one more relevant hazard for water companies. Based on the main conclusions of the survey, a set of recommendations for the Chilean water industry are proposed.