GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Asia and the Pacific


Figure 1.3.4: Deaths caused by natural disasters in Asia and the Pacific by UNEP Sub-region, 1970-2014


350 000 300 000 250 000 200 000 150 000 100 000 50 000 0


Australia and New Zealand


Australia and New Zealand South Asia The Pacific


Source: EM-DAT 2015


1.3.2 Causes of vulnerability and drivers of increasing risk


Because of the geographical, environmental, climatological, social, economic and political diversity of the Asia and the Pacific region, vulnerabilities, hazard types and characteristics, and hazard impacts vary greatly across


Northeast Asia Southeast Asia


the region. Certain socio-ecological systems, such as mountains, coastal areas and small islands, are particularly vulnerable because of their geographic and environmental characteristics (Leal Filho 2014). At the same time, socio- economic characteristics such as politics and governance, economic development status, and development choices also determine levels of vulnerability and resilience.


The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2014c) places medium confidence on the attribution to climate change of increases in the frequency or intensity of ecosystem disturbances such as droughts, wind-storms, fires and pest outbreaks. The character and severity of impacts from climate change and extreme events depend not only on climate-related hazards but also on exposure and vulnerability of human and natural systems (IPCC 2014a).


Poor and marginalized people, those living in high-risk areas, women, the young, old and the disabled tend to be more at risk and more vulnerable to hazards for different reasons. These include dependence on natural resources to sustain livelihoods, reduced mobility and/or mental, physical or cognitive abilities, lack of access to different types of resources such as hazard information, communication and other technologies and infrastructure, political power and representation, and financial means to cope with and recover from hazard events (Table 1.3.2).


Table 1.3.1: Disaster occurrence and damage in Asia and the Pacific Region due to droughts, floods, landslides, earthquakes, wildfires, and storms, 1970- August 2015


Parameters


1 Deaths (% of total population) 2 Total damage (USD billion)


3 Damage (USD per person per year)


4 Intensity (number of events per 1 000 square kilometres Source: EM-DAT 2015


30


Pacific Islands


0.02 75.31 59.22 0.06


Southeast Asia


0.09


118.87 5.79 0.29


South Asia Northeast Asia


0.08


152.97 2.77 0.30


0.04


923.06 15.03 0.10


Australia & New Zealand


0.005 72.68 75.88 0.03


1970


1973


1976


1979


1982


1985


1988


1991


1994


1997


2000


2003


2006


2009


2012


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