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UN: Asia-Pacific is world's most disaster-prone region
28.10.2015 08:02 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
Natural disasters have killed half a million people in Asia and the Pacific over the past decade, UN Radio says referring to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) report released on Tue.
As to the report, the majority of these incidents are the cross-border ones, such as the earthquake in Afghanistan on Mon which affected at once Pakistan and other neighbouring countries.
The report says achieving the sustainable development will be difficult if the region does not address these risks.
Dianne Penn has the story.
As to the report, Asia-Pacific is the most disaster-prone region in the world and events are becoming larger, more frequent and more intense from year to year.
Thus, within the past decade, the region was struck by 1,625 disasters (what makes over 40% of the global total).
Furthermore, more than 1.4 milliard people were affected by these incidents, while half a million others lost their lives.
However, the report says these figures are «gross underestimates» as there is no standardized methodology for collecting of the disaster statistics.
The report highlights how rapid economic growth, rising populations and growing cities are exacerbating risks.
It also includes recommendations for integrating disaster risk reduction into national sustainable development plans and policies.
And while the report says investing in disaster risk reduction is cost effective, it finds that the political commitment in this region so far has not resulted in adequate action.
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