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“There is mounting evidence of better understanding about the relationships between poverty, sustainable environmental practices, the management of natural resources and the relative exposure of populations to both traditional and emerging disaster risks.” Yokohama Strategy U.N. World Conference on Disaster Reduction Kobe, Japan; January 2005

© World VisionAs this issue goes on-line, the official death toll from the earthquake that hit Pakistan on October 8 is over 20,000, with hundreds of thousands more made homeless. Aid is just now starting to flow into remote areas.

Some 1,000 Americans also lost their lives from Hurricane Katrina, which hit the southern United States in late August. It was not the hurricane itself that caused the most destruction, but, rather, the breach of the levees and subsequent flooding in New Orleans and along the U.S. Gulf Coast. As over one million people were displaced from their homes in a matter of days, many placed blame on different levels of government for failing to provide adequate emergency response services.

Whomever one wanted to blame, dealing with the aftermath of Katrina absorbed U.S. media attention for weeks. For private groups like the American Red Cross, the relief operation was said to be the largest in its 124-year history. In an unusual turn around, foreign countries were lining up to provide aid to the United States. While a natural disaster of this magnitude is unusual for the U.S., they are common in some parts of the world. Take, for example, Bangladesh’s vulnerability to cyclones and floods. Although regular floods are expected—with provisions made to mitigate their effects—events like Cyclone Brenda in 1991 still killed more than 100,000 people. Other disasters with high death tolls include the Kobe earthquake in Japan in 1995, Hurricane Mitch in Honduras in 1998, and the Bam earthquake in Iran in 2003.

All of these incidents took thousands of lives. There have also been recent disasters that have received little media attention. Flooding in Mumbai, India in late July, for example, left over 1,000 dead. Some of the worst flooding in decades has taken place this summer in Eastern Europe, where many rural areas in places like Romania have been devastated. These disasters have all, however, paled in comparison to the tsunami of December 2004, which affected some twelve nations in the South Asian Basin. Although the exact death toll is uncertain, it is estimated that as many as 250,000 perished. Up to two million more were displaced, or thrown into poverty. Despite generous support from many countries, rebuilding in this region remains a slow process.

Although it would not seem to be the case from the above survey, a United Nations report called “Living with Risk” indicates that the number of people dying from natural disasters has actually declined somewhat in recent years. Yet, the prevalence of such disasters, the number of people affected, and the economic costs of disasters are rising rapidly. The number of disasters has actually tripled from 1973-2002, notes the report. Costs have also skyrocketed. Economic losses in the 1990s alone were estimated, conservatively, at nearly $600 billion and reached record highs of over $100 billion/year in 2004. The Katrina catastrophe is anticipated to be among the most costly weather-related disasters in history.

Vulnerable Populations

Despite media attention on disasters that strike the West, the population in the developing world stands to suffer the most from natural disasters. From 1994 to 2003, says the Red Cross in its World Disasters Report, deaths per reported disaster were on average seven times higher in countries of low human development than in highly developed countries. Why is this so? Poor and marginalized populations are increasingly concentrated in urban areas, and often in shanty towns, where dwellings are very unsafe. In a survey called “Nature’s Wrath” published in September 2005, the Atlantic Monthly notes that “the greatest potential for casualties occurs when a high risk of natural disaster is combined with poor infrastructure and a preponderance of ramshackle dwellings.”

Adds the Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative, which focuses its work on the mitigation of earthquake risk in the world’s largest cities, “By 2025, 80 percent of the world’s population will reside in developing countries. One out of every two large cities in the developing world is vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods, severe storms and earthquakes.”

Silent Killers Disasters sparked by Hurricane Katrina and the South Asia tsunami have received extensive worldwide media coverage—and funding. Famines caused by drought are just as deadly, but receive far less attention. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies indicates that “drought and famine have proved the deadliest disaster of the decade worldwide, accounting for at least 275,000 deaths since 1994—nearly half the total for all natural disasters.” Many humanitarian organizations are raising the alarm about such under-funded emergencies. Acute malnutrition in Niger is among urgent priorities. In August 2005, Médecins sans Frontières reported that only some 10 percent of the population had received life-saving food rations.

Increasing urban risks are a serious problem and make those living in poverty far more vulnerable to extreme weather events. While this is a widely accepted fact, it isn’t just a problem internationally. Witness the worst impacts of Hurricane Katrina on the poor residents of New Orleans, or on those not having the means to heed evacuation orders. Oxfam reports that the tsunami in South Asia hit the poor the hardest—in part because the poor were often isolated, as well as harder to identify and reach. Those who are wealthier can often afford sturdier houses and insurance coverage, or simply have the means to evacuate.

The international community is increasingly recognizing the vital links between development and disasters. This concept was a main theme at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe, Japan in January 2005—as was the need to mainstream disaster reduction into development planning overall. Disaster reduction and mitigation efforts must be “woven into the fabric of a community’s overall development” noted Jan Egeland, the U.N. Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, opening the conference. The event brought together some 4,000 individuals from almost 170 countries who agreed upon a 10-point plan of action over the next decade.

Disasters and the Environment

Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, drought, landslides, and tornadoes all fall under the category of natural disasters, or “acts of God.” Some would argue, however, that humanity’s poor environmental stewardship impels us to classify these tragedies as “man-made.” Deforestation, loss of wetlands, rising sea levels caused by global warming, uncontrolled development, and poor land-use policies can all exacerbate disasters.

Take Katrina. Failure to preserve marshlands around New Orleans ensured that there was no natural barrier to the storm surge that may, otherwise, have mitigated Katrina’s effects. U.N. reports note that deforestation in countries like Haiti and the Philippines has, for example, been the main cause of flooding and landslides in those countries. Satellite images reveal that deforestation and unsustainable land use are one of the primary causes of increasing human drought and flood-related disasters in China and India.

Alternatively, some communities have recognized that protecting the environment goes a long way to containing nature’s fury and, therefore, have taken steps to mitigate disasters through better management of wetlands and forests. Countries like Honduras have found that using traditional farming methods to reduce land degradation reduces disaster risk. The planting and protection of 12,000 hectares of mangroves by the Red Cross in Vietnam yielded a green wall to protect sea dykes against typhoon waves. And, foresight pays. The World Disasters Report for 2002 noted that the initial investment of just over $1 million for this project saved over $7 million in dyke maintenance.

Changing Political Will

Although many challenges exist, the international community has learned valuable lessons about disaster reduction. There are many more early-warning systems in place, a far greater exchange of data about disasters, and improved educational programs. Many communities around the world have taken disasters seriously and are better able to deal with them. The Kobe conference showcased best practices globally like laws passed in South Africa requiring municipal authorities to address hazards at local levels, citizen involvement in flood embankment maintenance in Bangladesh, and “community watching” programs in Japan. Much can also be learned from traditional cultures, which are often more alert to nature’s warnings.

Despite these advances, resources still are usually focused on emergency relief efforts after a disaster hits rather than on preventive measures before it occurs. Such preventive measures might include improving building codes, strengthening levees, limiting deforestation, planting drought-resistant crops, or building flood shelters. Implementing such disaster reduction strategies are, however, usually overshadowed by other pressing priorities. Fighting crime, reducing unemployment, or providing social services are all likely to rank higher than a disaster that may, or may not, occur. In short, the political will to lessen the risks of disasters has been in short supply.

In the U.S., disaster preparedness is characterized by apathy, says Dr. Erik Auf der Heide in Disaster Response: Principles of Preparation and Coordination. Citizens tend to underestimate disaster risks, notes the book. He adds that disaster management programs are difficult to initiate or maintain unless they are demanded by citizens, mandated by law, or paid for by state or federal governments. Builders and realtors also have well organized—and well funded—lobbies to develop land, whereas coalitions promoting land management and disaster prevention have far less support and resources. And, money just isn’t invested up-front for preparedness. A report from Tearfund uses the example of Mozambique, whose government appealed for $2.7 million for anticipated disasters. It received less than half that amount. After severe floods hit in 2000, more than $100 million of emergency aid was sent.

See other stories in this issue on “Disaster Response” and “Programs That Work.”

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