Shrinking the financial fallout of natural disasters

TOKYO, 9 December 2013 (IRIN) - Relief will be more easily a ! "#ic$ly a%ailable, a ! &'e eco omic fallo#& m#c' more ma a(eable, if (o%er me &s )ro*ec& a ! )la fiscally for )o&e &ial a&#ral !isas&ers a ! &'eir '#ma a ! eco omic &oll well i a!%a ce, e+)er&s say, T'e -N Office for Disas&er Ris$ Re!#c&io (-NI.DR) 'as calc#la&e! &'a& si ce 2000, eco omies 'a%e los& as m#c' as -./2,0 &rillio !#e &o a&#ral 'a1ar!s, I 2011 T'aila ! los& aro# ! 0 )erce & of i&s (ross !omes&ic )ro!#c& (2D3) &o floo!s, a ! 4a)a los& some 5 )erce & of i&s 2D3 &o &'e ear&'"#a$e a ! &s# ami, T'e la&es& ma*or !isas&er i &'e re(io , Ty)'oo 6aiya i &'e 3'ili))i es, is li$ely &o ca#se losses of aro# ! /12,0 billio , or 0 )erce & of &'e 2012 2D3 i &'is lower mi!!le-i come co# &ry, 7ar(are&a 8a'ls&rom, &'e .)ecial Re)rese &a&i%e of &'e -N .ecre&ary-2e eral for Disas&er Ris$ Re!#c&io , &ol! IRIN, T'e !ea&' a ! !es&r#c&io i &'e 3'ili))i es is &'e wors& si ce 1991, -) &o 9 December 2013, &'e &y)'oo , w'ic' s&r#c$ o 9 No%ember, 'a! affec&e! more &'a 12 millio )eo)le, $ille! early :,000 a ! lef& almos& 1,900 more missi (, I& is %i&al &'a& fi a ce mi is&ers a ! )olicyma$ers # !ers&a ! &'e sim)le &r#&' &'a& i %es&i ( i re!#ci ( !isas&er ris$, )ro&ec&i ( cri&ical

i fras&r#c&#re, s#c' as sc'ools, 'os)i&als a ! &ra s)or& sys&ems, )ays ric' !i%i!e !s,; 8a'ls&rom sai!, <e $a&ac'alam = b#mo1'i, a s)ecialis& i ca)aci&y b#il!i ( a& &'e To$yobase! =sia De%elo)me & >a $ I s&i&#&e (=D>I), &ol! IRIN &'a& a&#ral !isas&ers a ! c'a (i ( clima&e )a&&er s 'a%e si( ifica &ly !isr#)&e! eco omic (row&' a ! !e%elo)me & wor$ (lobally o%er &'e las& !eca!e, b#& (o%er me &s are s&ill slow &o )la for &'em fi a cially, T'ere are o a #al b#!(e&ary o#&lays for clima&e c'a (e ?im)ac&@ or a&#ral !isas&ers,; 'e sai!, AIf fi a ce mi is&ries co#l! loo$ i &o 'ow m#c' a co# &ry is i c#rri ( !#e &o s#c' ris$s, &'e we ca be&&er &ar(e& alloca&io s,; = b#mo1'i sai! if &'e im)ac&s of )o&e &ial !isas&ers are fac&ore! i w'e a #al (row&' )re!ic&io s a ! fiscal alloca&io s are ma!e, co# &ries ca a%oi!, &o a cer&ai e+&e &, s#!!e eco omic #)'ea%als, If alloca&io s are o& s)e & !#ri ( a (i%e )erio!, &'ey ca be rolle! o%er i &o &'e e+& fi a ce )erio!, = #al (lobal wea&'er-rela&e! losses 'a%e "#a!r#)le! from abo#& /00 billio i &'e 1990s &o aro# ! /200 billio i 2013, &'e 8orl! >a $ sai!, ci&i ( !a&a by rei s#ra ce (ro#) 7# ic' Re, I rece & years &'e >a $ 'as )romo&e! clima&e resilie & !e%elo)me &al )olicies i or!er &o )ro&ec& i&s i %es&me &s, A=& &'e 8orl! >a $ 2ro#), we are )#&&i ( !isas&er ris$ ma a(eme & a& &'e forefro & of o#r a(e !a, 8e $ ow &'ere is a lo& we ca , a ! m#s&, !o &o re!#ce &'e im)ac& of !isas&ers,; Rac'el Ky&e, &'e 8orl! >a $Bs %ice )resi!e & of s#s&ai able !e%elo)me &, sai! a& &'e rece & la# c' of a re)or& o i &e(ra&i ( clima&e a ! !isas&er ris$ i &o !e%elo)me & )la i (, 8a'ls&rom sai! )oorer a&io s wi&' &'e mos& &o lose may be &'e o es wi&' &'e leas& reso#rces &o )la a'ea!, ANa&#rally, co# &ries &'a& lac$ &'e fi a cial reso#rces &o absorb &'e losses from se%ere wea&'er e%e &s will e+)erie ce lower 2D3 (row&' i &'e years &'a& follow, com)are! wi&' &'e es&ima&e! (row&' &'a& wo#l! 'a%e occ#rre! wi&'o#& s&orm im)ac&s,; 7os& %#l erable, b#& ill-)re)are! T'e Cas& wi&' i&s b#l(i ( #rba )o)#la&io s is es)ecially a& ris$, = rece & =D>I re)or&, ci&i ( !a&a from -N De)ar&me & of Cco omic a ! .ocial =ffairs, )ro*ec&e! &'a& :D )erce & of =siaBs )o)#la&io will be li%i ( i ci&ies by 2000,

- bala ce! #rba !e%elo)me & 'as ma!e =sia me(a-ci&ies ill-)re)are! &o face i creasi (ly erra&ic wea&'er, res#l&i ( i )ere ial a ! worse i ( #rba floo!s i some )ar&s, Disre(ar! for b#il!i (s co!es i >a (la!es'Bs ca)i&al, D'a$a, for e+am)le, i creases &'e ris$ of massi%e !es&r#c&io a ! !ea&' i &'e e%e & of a ear&'"#a$e, T'e =sia-3acific re(io bears mos& of &'e eco omic losses from a&#ral !isas&ers - &'e early /300 billio )rice &a( i 2012 was 90 )erce & of &'e (lobal &o&al - a ! 2013 'as bee o !iffere &, I 4# e, .o#&' =siaBs a #al mo soo mo%e! fas&er &'a #s#al, lea%i ( a &rail of !es&r#c&io from &'e so#&'er coas& of .ri Ea $a, across .i !' )ro%i ce i eas&er 3a$is&a , &o &'e 3# *ab i wes&er I !ia, a ! #) i &o -&&ara$a ! s&a&e i or&'eas&er I !ia, 7ore &'a :,000 li%es were los& a ! close &o 2,2 millio )eo)le were s&ra !e!, mos&ly i I !ia, I early Oc&ober, &'e ca&e(ory 0 Ty)'oo 3'aili slamme! i &o &'e eas& I !ia s&a&es of = !'ra 3ra!es' a ! Orissa, T'e I !ia (o%er me & es&ima&e! 00 !ea&'s from &'e &y)'oo , w'ile local a#&'ori&ies sai! 12 millio )eo)le 'a! bee affec&e! a ! early 'alf a millio e%ac#a&e!, .ri Ea $aBs Fi a ce .ecre&ary, 3# c'i >a !a 4ayas# !era, rece &ly sai! a se%ere !ro#('& i 2012 ca#se! 'y!ro)ower )ro!#c&io &o fall by #) &o 50 )erce &, forci ( &'e co# &ry &o s)e & /2 billio o )#rc'asi ( f#el for )ower (e era&io G 00 )erce & of i&s oil im)or&s, He &ral ba $ (o%er or =*i&' Ni%ar! Habraal sai! s#c' im)ac&s 'a%e )rom)&e! &'e .ri Ea $a (o%er me & &o $ee) a close eye o wea&'er )a&&er s, =D>IBs = b#mo1'i says (o%er me &s are s&ill Arel#c&a &; &o co si!er clima&e i !#ce! ris$s a ! )la a'ea! for &'em, e%e &'o#(' )la i ( co#l! mi imi1e eco omic losses a ! $ee) mo ey rea!ily a%ailable &o 'el) sa%e li%es, C+)er&s war &'a& s'or&-&erm sa%i (s ca mea lo (- &erm losses, Rece & e+am)les i I !ia 'a%e s'ow &'a& )la i ( for a !isas&er ca !ras&ically re!#ce !ea&'s, 8a'ls&rom sai!, I 1999, w'e a o&'er cyclo e o &'e scale of 3'aili s&r#c$ i Orissa, more &'a 10,000 )eo)le !ie!, 7ass e%ac#a&io s i 2013 re!#ce! fa&ali&ies &o a !o#ble-!i(i& fi(#re, b#& s'e s&resse! &'a& !es)i&e re!#ci ( loss of life, a#&'ori&ies worl!wi!e 'a%e bee # able &o !o &'e same for eco omic losses, Hlearly, more wor$ ee!s &o be !o e, i )ar&ic#lar a!!ressi ( &'e # !erlyi ( !ri%ers of ris$, &'e mai o es of w'ic' are wea$ (o%er a ce,

)oor )la i ( a ! la ! #se, )o%er&y a ! lac$ of )ro&ec&io of ecosys&ems, )ar&ic#larly i coas&al areas a ! floo!)lai s,; = b#mo1'i s#((es&s a foc#s o low-carbo )olicies, =ccor!i ( &o =D>I, =siaBs lower- a ! mi!!le-i come co# &ries will lose as m#c' as : )erce & of &'eir 2D3 if (lobal warmi ( co &i #es a& a a #al ra&e of 2 !e(rees Helsi#s, T'ere 'as bee lo&s of wor$ !o e o early war i ( i &'e re(io i &'e las& !eca!e,; sai! 2#lam Ras#l, 3a$is&a Bs c'ief me&eorolo(is&, AT'e e+& s&e) is &o )la a'ea! &o absorb &'e !ama(e a ! im)ac& of !isas&ers,; >#& )la i ( is o )a acea, T'e 3'ili))i es a ! >a (la!es' G &wo of &'e worl!Bs mos& !isas&er-)ro e co# &ries G 'a%e also )#rs#e! !isas&er ris$ re!#c&io &'ro#(' le(isla&io , cyclo e )re)are! ess a ! Ab#il!i ( bac$ be&&er;, sai! 8a'ls&rom, a)I)&I'e