The resilience of Peruvians, that is, their ability to overcome adversity is a quality that we repeatedly highlight in our national discourse as something in which Peru stands out. However, this discourse is not necessarily reflected in the reality of the population.
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To evaluate the problem, Pacífico Seguros, with the backing and support of the Credicorp Ideas Bank, commissioned Ipsos Peru to prepare the first Country Resilience Index. How prepared are Peruvians for disasters?
The index was built based on information on the experience and awareness of risks that Peruvians face, the prevention measures we take and our recovery mechanisms, according to geographic context, area of residence and socioeconomic level.
According to this index, in terms of resilience, Peru stands at 29.7 points, on a scale from 0 to 100, positioning itself at a low level of preparation, showing that the vast majority of Peruvians live in non-resilient homes, highly vulnerable to unforeseen events. .
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The study found that the economic fragility of Peruvian households is manifested in the limited resources and mechanisms of families to face adverse events. He estimated that two-thirds of the population does not have savings for emergencies. The most worrying figure is that almost 70% of those surveyed would not be able to cover their expenses for more than two months if they lost their main source of income.
Likewise, the report detailed that in the event of an eventuality that generates a need for emergency financing for families, their alternatives vary according to their socioeconomic level. Thus, 59% of lower-income citizens would resort to activities to raise funds, 40% to loans to family and friends, and 34% to temporary jobs, among others.
Prepared for disasters?
Another important finding is the notable discrepancy in the perception of disaster preparedness and reality, since, although 37% of Peruvians feel prepared to face a disaster, only 6% are resilient, the majority showing an absence of awareness and underestimation of risk.
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“Although there is awareness of the main risks throughout the country, they impact differently according to the macro-region and socioeconomic level. For example, half of the respondents in the north of the country were affected by floods, while the theft of personal belongings is more common in Metropolitan Lima, affecting 40%. In rural areas, natural events and livestock theft are the most important concerns,” said César Rivera, CEO of Pacífico Seguros.
The index also shows the lack of preventive measures among the population, including a low adoption of insurance. Thus, a high percentage of the population has not taken concrete actions to prevent natural, property or health risks, indicating as the cause their limited economic resources and that they consider it unlikely that any eventuality will occur to them.
Considering this problem, Rivera indicated that Pacífico has the desire to make Peru the most protected country in Latin America by 2030, but to achieve this, he said that a solid commitment is needed from everyone: Government, private sector and civil society.
“This index shows us the levers to move. By focusing on homes we can build a more resilient nation. A vulnerable family is more susceptible to crises, and its recovery is slow and painful, affecting fundamental aspects such as health, education and the family basket,” Rivera concluded.
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