The Administrative Court of Cundinamarca has urged the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (Ungrd) to develop specific action plans for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas impacted by the El Niño and La Niña phenomena. This decision originates from a legal action presented by the Foundation for the Rule of Law (FEDe), which emphasized the urgency of complying with legal obligations to respond to natural disasters.
To date, Colombia has been without a La Niña action plan for more than a year and without one for El Niño for the past six months. Although the Government has allocated a public investment of $2.2 billion to mitigate the effects of these environmental contingencies, the foundation argues that these resources have been allocated without a specific plan, which could compromise the effectiveness of the assistance.
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In a statement, the foundation recalled article 61 of Law 1523, which stipulates that after a natural disaster, the Ungrd must develop action plans in the affected areas. These plans must be mandatory to ensure an adequate response to the needs of the affected communities.
The court’s decision is framed in decree 2113, issued on November 1, 2022, which declared a national disaster due to the La Niña phenomenon. This decree ordered the Ungrd to develop specific plans for the recovery of affected areas, especially in departments such as Cauca, Nariño and Putumayo, which have suffered serious damage to infrastructure and basic services.
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Despite the seriousness of the situation and the regulations in force, the Ungrd had not complied with these obligations, which motivated the Foundation to file legal action. During the judicial process, the Ungrd failed to demonstrate that it had acted in accordance with its legal and regulatory duty. As a result, the court ordered the unit, within 20 business days, to prepare, publish and disseminate the required action plans.
The court’s ruling underlines the importance of implementing immediate and effective measures in disaster management. “It is imperative that measures be taken as quickly as possible to prepare and adopt these plans in accordance with current regulations,” states the judicial document, evidencing the urgency of acting in a context where the affected communities require assistance.