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The president made the announcement during the installation of the Climate Change Forum of the IDB agenda. Most of the reconstruction processes on the island will be ready by the end of 2021.
After the devastating passage of Hurricane Iota (category 5) through Providencia, on November 16, 2020, President Iván Duque promised that in 100 days most of the houses on the island would be rebuilt. Then the deadline was changed to the beginning of 2021 and now the first president indicated that the reconstruction of the island will be mostly by the end of this year and will be completed in the first quarter of 2022.
This announcement was made at the installation of the Climate Change forum on the IDB agenda. In a short speech, the president took the opportunity to say that the reconstruction of Providencia and Santa Catalina is advancing with a firm step. “We are implementing plan 100 to accelerate the entire infrastructure reconstruction so that this year we will have the vast majority of infrastructure challenges resolved and a small part in the first quarter of 2022”, were the words of the president regarding the recovery of two of the populations hardest hit by Iota.
Can see: Providencia: 100 days after the tragedy of Hurricane Iota
According to the balance of the president, 21 state entities have been articulated and an investment of $ 1.2 trillion has been made “to seal outstanding debts over so many decades.” In addition, the president assured that the storm sewer system in district 4 of San Andrés and work has been done on the reconstruction of more than 1,100 houses and 126 tourist businesses.
Likewise, President Duque said that ecosystem recovery efforts have been carried out, since about 90% were affected after the passage of hurricanes Eta and Iota, separated by just a few days apart. To this end, according to the president, 320 conservation agreements were signed with local families. On the other hand, the Colombian president celebrated that he has had the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and that solidarity campaigns have been launched from this platform that have materialized in donations for $ 46,000 for a cultural center in Providencia.
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Faced with the reconstruction of Providencia and Santa Catalina, Sandra Gómez, president of Findeter, also spoke. This pointed out that by the end of 2021 about 95% of the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina will have been rebuilt, a figure similar to that given by President Iván Duque. This also assured that last Monday the foundations of the first of 1,200 homes that will be delivered were laid.
“In this process, the most important thing has been to work hand in hand with the community, for them and with them. Success lies in listening to people, understanding their needs and acting accordingly, “said Gómez in a parallel event to the 2021 IDB Assembly, held in Barranquilla.
Susana Correa, director of the Department of Social Prosperity and manager of reconstruction of the islands, also participated in this event. This also referred to the reconstruction of Providencia and spoke of the need, in the face of future natural disasters, to review public prevention policies.
“Faced with an emergency of this type, taking into account the lessons learned, we have suggested actions: the first is to restore public services, energy, water and telecommunications; and the second, in relation to infrastructure, is the application of safe construction standards, strengthening social infrastructure and housing policies, ”said Correa.
