Quito

Quito’s Resilience Journey

Quito’s resilience has been tested many times. The metropolitan district faces risk on a daily basis due to massive seismic movements, floods, and forest fires. In 2012 alone, 2,600 forest fires were reported. In previous decades, the city has faced earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The eruption of the Pichincha Volcano in 1999 forced Quito Airport to close, with major economic consequences. In 2011, nearly 144 landslides during the rainy season resulted in many deaths and damage to housing in the most vulnerable sectors of the city. The poor are most at risk in the event of a high-magnitude earthquake, which would devastate the city’s irregular, unplanned settlements in steep-slope areas.