‘Post-Haiyan — a way forward’: Better preparation for disasters is possible and necessary

Mega-disasters are on the increase worldwide. Seven months ago Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan struck the Philippines with a ferocity which staggered the world — but even its destructive power was only the latest example in a series of mega-extreme events including the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Sandy in the Caribbean and the United States last year. In 2013 there were record-breaking floods in Central Europe and just last month I was in the Balkans, overwhelmed by the greatest floods in more than 120 years and where the European Union launched a massive rescue and recovery programme.

These disasters are not random events but part of a wider trend. Since 1975, there has been a five-fold increase in their number. The economic losses caused by these disasters are huge.

Global trends such as climate change, urbanisation, population growth and environmental degradation mean that we are living in an increasingly fragile world. Disasters hit anyone, anywhere:  it’s not just developing countries that are victims of emergencies — even the best prepared countries can be brought to their knees.

Nature is a truly awesome force and consequently it’s inevitable that some disasters are beyond our power to prevent. But we can do a lot to reduce the magnitude of their consequences by addressing climate change and by better preparation. 

In the European Union we have set up a strong coordination mechanism to pool together the response capacity of all our Member States. The European Emergency Response Coordination Centre is an innovative collaboration hub for monitoring hazards all over the world and for coordinating Europe’s response to disasters worldwide.

Through this mechanism, the countries of the European Union promote preparedness to disasters across borders and organize training and simulation exercises with the aim to increase the skills and the capacity of rescue teams. In December last year, the European Union also adopted new legislation to step up these efforts, in particular on risk assessment and preparedness.

The European Union is actively involved in the ground work leading up to the renewed international framework for disaster risk reduction, the Hyogo Framework for Action, for the post-2015 period. I firmly believe that the world needs to reinforce its investment in disaster risk management. It is important to ensure our safety and to support sustainable and smart growth for the future.

That is why I am participating in the ASEM Manila Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, a very important event hosted by the Philippine government. The experience of tackling the impact of mega-disasters such as Yolanda/Haiyan will be at the heart of the discussions of this conference. And I can assure you that I am far from alone in the international community when I say how much I admire the courage and resilience of the people of the Philippines for all their efforts in getting back on their feet after such a calamity.

The Philippines and the EU are longstanding partners in responding to disasters, working together in numerous disaster risk reduction programmes. In the immediate aftermath of Yolanda/Haiyan the EU sent emergency aid and rescue teams and provided assistance amounting to more than EUR180 million. Our support continues: We have just announced further funding of EUR 30 million for the health sector, EUR 10 million of which is being made available for immediate reconstruction needs. In this world of growing inter-dependency strong partnerships, such as the one between the EU and the Philippines and the wider region, are tremendously important.

We’ve learnt the hard way that no country is immune from overwhelming mega-disasters and that it takes strong cooperation to make sure we will be able to face them and overcome their consequences in the future. I am firmly committed to this path which I trust will lead us all to a safer future.

(Kristalina Georgieva is European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.)