Historical vision of the response to the natural threats in Chile and opportunities of disaster risk management

The geographical conditions in Chile make it a country that persistently experiences natural hazards, constantly testing the capacity of the Chilean society to pull itself up after every event and to improve the ways in which they occupy their territorial space. The prevalence of zoning that focus almost exclusively on profitability and places little attention on localized risks, has allowed a majority of settlement projects and facilities to be built in areas that face significant risk due to natural hazards. The aim of this work is to present a historical review of the subject, seeking to illustrate previous experiences in order to establish more sustainable forms of building within the Chilean geographical space.