Personal security is threatened by poor living standards. Below, makeshift houses such as these grow and spread along flooded estuaries exposing residents to grave risks.
Credit: Mark Edwards/StillPictures
Vulnerability
The impacts of extreme weather events fall dis- Small Island Developing States (SIDS), as well as
proportionately on developing countries, such as poor people in all countries.
Number of people affected by disasters of natural origin in SIDS
DownloaD Graphic 2
millions
3.03 5.92
Caribbean
2.0
South Pacific
1.8
Western Indian Ocean
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
Note: Excluding earthquakes,
insect infections and volcanic
0.2
eruptions.
Source: GEO Data Portal,
0
compiled from EM-DAT undated
1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
22 VITAL GEO GRAPHICS