National disaster mitigation

The terrible convergence of urbanisation and natural hazards leads to many needless deaths. Urbanisation and the congregation of populations into smaller areas means more lives are at risk should a natural or human induced disaster occur. In vulnerable areas the story is the same, populations are increasing. These increases combined with the raise in the number of climate related disasters and human related impacts, such as forest clearance, means that worldwide sensitivity to disasters is escalating. In 2000, 1 in 30 people were effected by a natural hazards and economically between 1991 and 1995 global damage caused by natural hazards cost the planet $439 billion.

 

Amazingly few urban development strategies take into account disaster scenarios. Building codes are not enforced and construction is shoddy, there is not enough public awareness to the consequences of such practices and with limited financial and technical resources many countries can actually do little to combat the increasing risks. The environments and economies of small island developing states seem particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Their vulnerability will increase with global environmental instability.

 

The insurance industry has suffered major losses because of the recent high frequency of large-scale natural disasters. Weather-related losses were $48 billion for the first half of the 1990s, compared to $14 billion for the entire 1980s. The industry is thus supporting both research and management actions to understand and if possible reduce the risks. Research should centre its emphasis on improving the forecasting of natural disasters and understanding the processes that drive them.