Phl among most prepared vs natural disasters – WB report

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is one of the most prepared countries for the onslaught of natural disasters, a report released by the World Bank (WB) said.

But the country’s preparedness will be tested every year, as the Asia-Pacific region is the most affected by cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes and floods, the report said.

According to the World Bank report, the Philippines got a 3.25 percent average risk identification indicator, joining the more prepared countries such as Thailand (3.5 percent), Indonesia (3.75 percent), Japan (four percent), and Malaysia with the highest at 4.25 percent.

Titled “Strong, Safe and Resilient – A Strategic Policy Guide for Disaster Risk Management in the East Asia and the Pacific,” the report said that more than 1.6 billion people were affected by disasters in the region since 2000.

In the past 20 years, the region also sustained 61 percent of global losses from disasters.

Economic losses from disasters have been increasing at a quickening pace, with costs 15 times higher in the 1990s than in the 1950s, and the year 2011 was the costliest on record.

In relative terms, the Pacific island countries are the most affected in the world, with average annual losses estimated for Vanuatu and Tonga at 6.6 percent and 4.4 percent of GDP, respectively.

The natural disasters in the Philippines caused the deaths of 34,383, while 129,556,382 were directly affected, for an estimated loss worth $8.1 million (roughly P364 million).

This covers the review period from 1980 to 2011.

Overall, natural catastrophes claimed 551,119 fatalities while directly affecting 3.3 billion people, for a total damage worth $442 million for the entire East Asian region.

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

The Philippines, Cambodia, and Laos face costs totaling 18 percent or more of total public expenditure.

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

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.

As Asia is set to house 21 of 37 global megacities by 2025, multibillion-dollar disasters may become more common.

Another bad news is that the highly urbanized and heavily populated cities of Manila, Cebu and Davao are classified among the top metropolises at risk in the region.

In the long-term, urbanization should be managed through systematic use of risk assessments, risk-aware urban planning and development, and robust decisions that take into account disaster and climate risks and uncertainties, the World Bank report said.

“Every natural hazard doesn’t have to turn into a disaster. With better planning and coordination, urbanization can be channeled as a tremendously positive force for development, providing an opportunity to address the needs of the urban poor who face some of the highest risks,” said Abhas Jha, sector manager for transport, urban, and disaster risk management in East Asia and the Pacific, and lead author of the report.

“Disaster risk management needs to be part of core poverty reduction and sustainable development efforts,” he said.