// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the National Unit say? "We're a disaster waiting to manage.
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | November 3, 2011 |
| Jurisdiction | Colombia |
| Headquarters | |
| Employees | 102[1][2] |
| Annual budget | $14.282 billion (2026)[3] |
Agency executive |
|
| Website | Official website |
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) is an agency of the government of Colombia, initially created under President Juan Manuel Santos and implemented under Decree Law 4147 of 2011 on November 3, 2011. The agency's main purpose is to coordinate the response to a disaster that has occurred in Colombia and that overwhelms the resources of local and regional authorities. The governor of the department where the disaster occurs must declare a state of public calamity.
While direct support for disaster response and humanitarian assistance is a fundamental part of the UNGRD's mission, the agency also provides departmental and municipal governments with expert technical advice on risk reduction, co-financing for mitigation works, and resources from the National Disaster Risk Management Fund for the reconstruction of vital public infrastructure. It also facilitates access for affected populations to temporary rental subsidies, soft loans for economic reactivation in the rural sector in collaboration with the Agricultural Bank or Finagro, and technical assistance for the resettlement of families in high-risk areas. Furthermore, the UNGRD transfers public funds to strengthen the operational capacities of national relief agencies—such as fire departments, civil defense, and the Colombian Red Cross—and finances community resilience projects in the country's most vulnerable regions.
Organization
[edit]Since the enactment of Law 1523 of 2012, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management has been organized as a technical agency directly attached to the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic. However, its institutional status and budgetary autonomy have remained politically controversial and have sparked urgent debates in Congress. Following the revelation of several serious corruption cases, such as the water tanker corruption scheme in La Guajira and the alleged bribes paid with public funds to members of Congress to influence executive reforms, critics and opposition parties have repeatedly called for a comprehensive reform that modifies its special system of direct contracting.[4][5][6]
Structure
[edit]The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management articulates its technical and institutional mission through three key mission-oriented sub-directorates; the Risk Knowledge Sub-directorate, the Risk Reduction Sub-directorate, and the Disaster Management Sub-directorate.[7][8] Under the jurisdiction and direct supervision of the Office of the Director General are the Planning Advisory Office, the Legal Advisory Office, the Internal Control Office, and the General Secretariat, the latter responsible for supporting the mission through the management of human talent, physical resources, and administrative contracting.[9] The Risk Knowledge Sub-directorate is responsible for guiding policies for the analysis, formulation, and monitoring of risk scenarios in the country.[10] This includes technical coordination with national scientific entities—such as the Colombian Geological Survey and the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies to monitor seismic and volcanic threats, floods, and climatic phenomena.[11][12] For its part, the Risk Reduction Sub-Directorate manages and implements medium- and long-term structural mitigation and prevention plans.
Through this division, mayors and governors are guided in incorporating risk management into their Territorial Planning Plans, and engineering projects such as levees, retaining walls, and the resettlement of vulnerable communities trapped in high-risk, unmitigable zones are made viable.[13] At the community and institutional preparedness level, the National Disaster Risk Management System, channels technical and co-financing resources to strengthen the operational capacities of relief agencies.[14] These programs benefit the Colombian Civil Defense, the Colombian Red Cross and the National Directorate of Firefighters, allowing investment in rescue equipment, specialized vehicles, first response equipment and technical training of personnel throughout the national territory.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Informe de Seguimiento a la Austeridad del Gasto – I Trimestre 2025" (PDF). UNGRD. 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Informe de seguimiento a la austeridad del gasto – III trimestre 2025" (PDF). UNGRD. 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Informe de recomendaciones al Proyecto de Ley de Presupuesto – Comisión Sexta" (PDF). Chamber of Representatives of Colombia. 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "¿Quién es quién en el escándalo de la Unidad de Gestión del Riesgo?". El País. May 12, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Los protagonistas del escándalo de corrupción en Colombia". EFE. July 25, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Consejo de Estado suspende traslado de $4 billones a la UNGRD por presunta invasión de competencias legislativas". Portafolio. May 30, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Marco Estratégico". UNGRD. March 12, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Plan Estratégico Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres". UNGRD. May 2, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Oficina de Planeación e Información". UNGRD. June 3, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Marco Estratégico". UNGRD. June 3, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Ungrd advierte sobre mayores precipitaciones por la llegada de un nuevo frente frío". La República. February 22, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Ungrd definió hoja de ruta de medidas para hacer frente al fenómeno de El Niño". La República. July 10, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Plan Estratégico Institucional 2022-2026" (PDF). UNGRD. 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Ungrd alista plan para corregir fallas en la reconstrucción de Providencia y Santa Catalina". La República. March 22, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
