LOC01:58
22:58 GMT
WASHINGTON, May 16 (KUNA) -- Global losses from natural disasters have nearly quadrupled over the last few decades, from an average of USD 50 billion per year in the 1980s to close to USD 200 billion per year over the last decade, a report said on Monday.
"More governments, communities, and international organizations are learning that smart investments in preparedness and resilience can keep natural hazards from becoming human catastrophes," the World Bank said in its report.
Senior Director for Climate Change at the World Bank Group John Roome believes that the answer to combatting these losses is better preparedness and smart disaster risk management.
"As climate change threatens to increase disaster risk and wash away important development gains, it's well past time to take an even more active and serious approach to smart disaster risk management."
"With major advances in technology and research which are both accessible and more affordable, this is an opportunity for policy makers, development practitioners, and communities to equip themselves with information on how to best prepare for a hazard," he added.
The report explained that trends like population growth and rising urbanization are driving losses in vulnerable regions with up to 1.4 million people moving into cities every week.
It said that much of this growth - up to 90 percent through 2050 - is happening in Africa and Asia.
At the same time, climate change threatens push 100 million more people into poverty by 2030. "Disaster risk isn't static, but rapidly evolving," it said.
The report went on to reveal that April's 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Ecuador, which left over 600 people dead and almost 30,000 injured, left projected economic damages of over USDS 3 billion. (end)
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