Asia - Pacific should strengthen resilience against natural disasters

5/3/15

As reported recently by the Economic and Social Commission in Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations (ESCAP) announced on February 25, 2015, even though it was not witnessed a natural disaster at large-scale by earthquake or tsunami in 2014, more than half of 226 natural disasters in the past year in the world took place in the Asia - Pacific.
Annual report entitled “Natural Disasters in Asia and the Pacific: Looking back 2014” indicated the total number of more than 6,000 deaths caused by natural disasters in 2014 in comparison with 18 744 deaths in the year 2013. The report also showed that 79.6 million people were affected by natural disasters in the region, 85% of them were related to storms, floods and landslides.
As reported by ESCAP, economic losses caused by natural disasters in 2014 also remained high, totaling 59.6 billion.
This study also analyzed the level of resilience of the region and the lessons learned from past disasters. The study emphasized that the highest economic losses in Asia and the Pacific was due to the floods in the river basin (16 billion USD) and Hudhud storm (11 billion USD) in India, the earthquake in the Ludian county of China (6 billion USD), and the tropical storm Lingling and Kajiki in Japan (5.2 billion USD).
However, according to ESCAP, the Asia and Pacific region is largely unprepared to cope with floods and landslides. The disasters, which will be able to increase due to climate change, require the exchange of information at the regional level and coordination of effectively early warning systems. Therefore, the report called for enhancement of regional cooperation to deal with cross-border disasters.
The conclusions show that the ESCAP prepared to cope with the severe storms thanks to the early warning system efficiency which has significantly reduced the number of deaths.
According to the report, the Asia - Pacific region experienced five major droughts in 2014, affecting 31.5 million people.
The report calls on countries in the region to strengthen attention to the disaster beginning slowly as drought which could affect the poorest of the population.

In March 2015 in Sendai, Japan, Asian - Pacific leaders will complete a framework of global action to reduce disaster risk, superseding Hyogo Framework for Action 2005 - 2015.
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All comments [ 10 ]


John Smith 9/3/15 12:11

Rapidly growing cities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to disasters in the East Asia Pacfic region due to poor planning, with economic losses increasing dramatically as the region grows wealthier.

Gentle Moon 9/3/15 12:12

Policy makers can make a significant difference to ensure that progress in development and poverty reduction are not lost by acting now to build resilience.

LawrenceSamuels 9/3/15 12:12

Investing in disaster preparedness -- from strengthening hazard forecast services to restoring natural ecosystems -- can be surprisingly cost-effective.

Red Star 9/3/15 12:13

East Asia Pacific is the region that is most affected by cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes and floods. To confront these disaster challenges, governments need to be prepared for the unexpected and undertake major investments in disaster risk management and resilience

yobro yobro 9/3/15 12:14

Strong, Safe and Resilient – A Strategic Policy Guide for Disaster Risk Management in the East Asia and the Pacific

Voice of people 9/3/15 12:15

Driven by rapid economic growth and urbanization, with a greater concentration of people and assets in cities, this trend is expected to continue. Unplanned or poorly planned urbanization puts communities at risk, particularly through informal settlements and inadequate land management.

Vietnam Love 9/3/15 12:16

Developing countries in the region will be exposed to large fiscal impacts on public expenditure, as governments shoulder an increasing financial responsibity for post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.

Me Too! 9/3/15 12:16

The urbanization of disasters, with frequent flooding, rising complexity, and greater cross-regional impacts, calls for urgent action.

Socialist Society 9/3/15 12:17

What is not necessarily well known is that investing in risk reduction and emergency preparedness can be extremely cost-effective, greatly reducing the impact of natural hazards.

For A Peace World 9/3/15 12:18

investing in hazard forecasting and hydrometeorological early warning systems can have a high cost-benefit ratio with immediate and significant payoffs. Strengthening legislation and promoting institutional coordination, promoting disaster risk reduction in community-based development programs are also beneficial.

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