¿Qué podemos aprender de los estudios de caso?

This summary presents a global and comparative analysis of the seven events presented in this thematic issue. It is based on an analysis of the consequences of these events; the updating of structural or conjunctural vulnerabilities causing such events; and the impacts, on the medium and long run, in terms of risk prevention of the crises caused by these events. Several lessons have been learned from the analysis and comparison of the three urban agglomerations in Quito, La Paz and Lima. The intensity and duration of the crises are not a function of the degree of the physical phenomenon; they specifically depend on how the essential elements of the territory’s operation have been affected. Moreover, decrypting the multiplicity and articulations of the vulnerabilities in order to understand why an accident or disaster occurs, and how they are managed, underlines the importance of a territorial and systemic approach to the risks and crises.