Exposure
DownloaD Graphic 2
Over the past 20 years, natural disasters have claimed
more than 1.5 million lives and have affected more
than 200 million people annually.
Natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, droughts,
storms, tropical cyclones and hurricanes, wildfires, tsu-
namis, volcanic eruptions and landslides threaten every-
one. Proportionally, however, they hurt the poor most of
all. More than 90 per cent of the people exposed to
disasters live in the developing world, and more than
half of natural disaster deaths occur in countries with a
low human development index.
Developing countries often lack the capacity to cope
with extreme climatic events such as floods, droughts,
heat waves and storm surges. About 2 billion people
were affected by such disasters in the 1990s: 40 per ing of informal safety nets, poorly built or maintained
cent of the population in developing countries, com- infrastructure, chronic illness and conflict.
pared to a few per cent in developed countries.
Conflicts, violence and persecution regularly displace
In some areas exposure to natural hazards has in- large civilian populations, forcing millions of people
creased as a result of climate change and human into marginal ecological and economic areas within
actions such as the destruction of mangrove forests that countries and across international boundaries.
protect coastal areas from tidal surges. Risks are also
increasing as a result of the continuing concentration of The United Nations High Commission for Refugees
population in highly-exposed areas. estimated that there were 11.5 million refugees, asylum
seekers and stateless persons globally in 2005, plus
The consequences of disasters can threaten achieve- another 6.6 million internally displaced persons. The
ments in development and undermine resilience. The resulting poverty, often tied to shortages or degradation
capacity to adapt is often being eroded by, for exam- of natural resources, contributes directly to lower levels
ple, reduced state social protection schemes, undermin- of well-being and higher levels of vulnerability.
Highest risk hot spots by natural hazard type
DownloaD Graphic 2
High total economic loss risk
top 3 deciles at risk from:
Drought only
Geophysical only
Hydro only
Geophysical and hydro
Drought and geophysical
Drought and hydro
Drought, hydro and geophysical
Notes: Geophysical hazards
include earthquakes and
volcanoes.
Hydrological hazards
include floods, cyclones and
landslides.
Source: Dilley and others 2005
DISASTERS AND CONFLICTS 21