A NEW APPROACH TO "REDUCING DISASTER RISKS"

Natural disaster risk is intimately connected to processes of human development. Disasters put development at risk. At the same time, the development choices made by individuals,communities and nations can generate new disaster risk. But this need not be the case. Human development can also contribute to a serious reduction in disaster risk.This paper shows that billions of people in more than 100 countries are periodically exposed to at least one event of earthquake, tropical cyclone, flood or drought. As a result of disasters triggered by these natural hazards,more than 184 deaths per day are recorded in different parts of the world.This paper demonstrates that development processes intervene in the translation of physical exposure into natural disaster events. This is demonstrated by the observation that while only 11 percent of the people exposed to natural hazards live in countries classified as low human development, they account for more than 53 percent of total recorded deaths. In global terms and for the four hazard types (Earthquake, Tropical cyclone, Flood, Drought) assessed, disaster risk was found to be considerably lower in high-income countries than in medium- and low-income countries. Countries classified as high human development countries represent 15 percent of the exposed population, but only 1.8 percent of the deaths. About 130 million people were found to be exposed on average every year to Earthquake risk as defined in this Paper. High relative vulnerability (people killed/exposed) was found in countries such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, Afghanistan and India.Other medium development countries with sizeable urban populations, such as Turkey and the Russian Federation, were also found to have high relative vulnerability, as well as countries such as Armenia and Guinea that had experienced an exceptional event in the papering period.The Paper argues that disaster risk is not inevitable and offers examples of good practice in disaster risk reduction that can be built into ongoing development planning policy. In a word change in development policy and planning is required at the national level If disaster risks are to be managed and reduced.