Bangladesh is the fifth most natural
disaster prone country among 173 countries in
the world, according to the World Risk Report
2012.
The World Risk Report examines who is at risk
from natural disasters, what contributes to this risk and what can be done about it, the report
issued on Thursday said. According to the report,
the Pacific Island states of Vanuatu and Tonga
have the highest disaster risk while Malta and
Qatar face the lowest risk worldwide.
The report which was published in Brussels, Belgium by the German Alliance for Development
Works (Alliance), United Nations University
Institute for Environment and Human Security
(UNU-EHS) and The Nature Conservancy also said
environmental degradation is a significant factor
that reduces the capacity of societies to deal with disaster risk in many countries around the world.
The record for the decade 2002 to 2011 is
alarming: 4,130 disasters, more than a million
deaths and an economic loss of at least 1.195
trillion dollars, it said. The centrepiece of the
report, the WorldRiskIndex, developed by UNU- EHS in cooperation with the Alliance, determines
the risk of becoming the victim of a disaster as a
result of natural hazards for 173 countries
throughout the world.
The Nature Conservancy was a core partner on
this years report, because of its focus on the linkages between environmental degradation and
disaster risk. This report illustrates the powerful
role that nature can play in reducing risks to
people and property from coastal hazards like
storms, erosion and floods. Coral reefs, oyster
reefs and mangroves offer flexible, cost- effective, and sustainable first lines of defence, as
well as other benefits like healthy fisheries and
tourism that sea walls and breakwaters will never
provide, said Dr Michael Beck, Lead Marine
Scientist at The Nature Conservancy.
The Conservancys Drs Michael Beck and Christine Shepard, co-authors of the WRR, found that there
are 200 million people who may receive risk
reduction from coral reefs alone or may have to
bear higher costs of disasters if the reefs are
degraded. These are people in villages, towns,
and cities who live in low, risk prone coastal areas (below 10m elevation) and within 50 km of
coral reefs. Where the most people could benefit
from these natural systems is often where their
impacts and loss have been the greatest.
The countries with the greatest number of at-risk
people who may receive risk reduction benefits from reefs are Indonesia and India (> 35 M
people each); followed by the Philippines (>20M);
China (> 15 M); Brazil, Vietnam, Brazil and the USA
(all > 7M). In addition, more than 20 countries had
most of their population (>50%) living in low
elevations and near reefs, which includes nations such as the Maldives, Palau, St Kitts and Nevis,
Grenada, Bermuda, Bahamas and Bahrain.
agencies
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
disaster prone country among 173 countries in
the world, according to the World Risk Report
2012.
The World Risk Report examines who is at risk
from natural disasters, what contributes to this risk and what can be done about it, the report
issued on Thursday said. According to the report,
the Pacific Island states of Vanuatu and Tonga
have the highest disaster risk while Malta and
Qatar face the lowest risk worldwide.
The report which was published in Brussels, Belgium by the German Alliance for Development
Works (Alliance), United Nations University
Institute for Environment and Human Security
(UNU-EHS) and The Nature Conservancy also said
environmental degradation is a significant factor
that reduces the capacity of societies to deal with disaster risk in many countries around the world.
The record for the decade 2002 to 2011 is
alarming: 4,130 disasters, more than a million
deaths and an economic loss of at least 1.195
trillion dollars, it said. The centrepiece of the
report, the WorldRiskIndex, developed by UNU- EHS in cooperation with the Alliance, determines
the risk of becoming the victim of a disaster as a
result of natural hazards for 173 countries
throughout the world.
The Nature Conservancy was a core partner on
this years report, because of its focus on the linkages between environmental degradation and
disaster risk. This report illustrates the powerful
role that nature can play in reducing risks to
people and property from coastal hazards like
storms, erosion and floods. Coral reefs, oyster
reefs and mangroves offer flexible, cost- effective, and sustainable first lines of defence, as
well as other benefits like healthy fisheries and
tourism that sea walls and breakwaters will never
provide, said Dr Michael Beck, Lead Marine
Scientist at The Nature Conservancy.
The Conservancys Drs Michael Beck and Christine Shepard, co-authors of the WRR, found that there
are 200 million people who may receive risk
reduction from coral reefs alone or may have to
bear higher costs of disasters if the reefs are
degraded. These are people in villages, towns,
and cities who live in low, risk prone coastal areas (below 10m elevation) and within 50 km of
coral reefs. Where the most people could benefit
from these natural systems is often where their
impacts and loss have been the greatest.
The countries with the greatest number of at-risk
people who may receive risk reduction benefits from reefs are Indonesia and India (> 35 M
people each); followed by the Philippines (>20M);
China (> 15 M); Brazil, Vietnam, Brazil and the USA
(all > 7M). In addition, more than 20 countries had
most of their population (>50%) living in low
elevations and near reefs, which includes nations such as the Maldives, Palau, St Kitts and Nevis,
Grenada, Bermuda, Bahamas and Bahrain.
agencies
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
.
