The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters is causing substantial loss of life and socio-economic damage and losses. Disasters caused more than 3.3 million deaths and $2.3 trillion in damage (in 2008 US dollars) between 1970 and 2010. During the 21st century, inadequate planning in rapidly growing cities of the developing world will result in a substantial increase in disaster risks. The number of people exposed to storms and earthquakes in large cities could double to 1.5 billion by 2050. Much of this increase in exposure will be in the Asia and Pacific region.
·As the world is often reminded, disasters can wipe out decades of development gains in a matter of seconds. Disaster risk reduction is a critical element in long-term sustainable development.
·When a natural disaster strikes, economic losses, as a percentage of GDP, are 20 times greater in developing countries than in developed ones. The 2009 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction concludes that disaster risk is increasing fastest in low- and middle-income countries.
·Damages from disasters are projected to grow, making prevention more crucial. Recent studies estimate that damages from weather-related hazards may triple to $185 billion annually by 2100 without factoring climate change adaptation costs.
The 2010 World Bank -UN report, Natural Hazards, UnNatural Disasters: The Economics of Effective Prevention (NHUD),finds that low-income countries suffer maximum fatalities and middle-income countries maximum damages due to disasters. Cost effective measures, like early warning systems, better building codes, and a more thorough preparedness to respond are the best defense against future disasters.
An Expanding Role in Disaster Risk Management (DRM)
The World Bank has been a major financier of post-disaster recovery, reconstruction, and DRM for over 25 years, with an increasing integration of risk reduction into investment programs. Since 1984, the Bank has invested $35.1 billion in DRM. There is a growing demand from Bank clients for: (i) rapid and effective response after natural disasters, (ii) assistance in preparing vulnerable countries for future disasters, and (iii) strengthening country capacities for risk reduction and climate adaptation.
TheGlobal Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR)has emerged as the leading institutional mechanism for disaster risk reduction and post-disaster response. A global program hosted by the World Bank, GFDRR is a partnership of 38 countries and 7 international organizations. It has built on the Bank’s role, leadership, and performance on global knowledge creation, innovation, capacity building, and partnerships. The Bank’s DRM practice manages a comprehensive range of products:
·Post-Disaster Needs Assessment and Emergency Reconstruction & Recovery Projects;
·Disaster Risk Management and Climate Adaptation Programs;
·Innovative solutions for disaster risk management, damage, loss and risk assessments;
·Knowledge products on global good practices and recovery planning; and
·Partnership development and donor coordination
The World Bank Disaster Risk Management Portfolio includes:
(i)Large-scale emergency recovery programs such as those around the: Indonesia Tsunami (MDTF $690 million); Pakistan Earthquake ($1.05 billion); Yogyakarta Earthquake (MDTF $94 million):China Wenchuan Earthquake ($710 million); Bihar Floods ($220 million); and the Pakistan Flood Emergency Cash Transfer Project ($125 million)
(ii)Comprehensive Post-Disaster Needs Assessments in more than 20 disasters in the last two years;
(iii)Multi-sector risk mitigation programs such as Istanbul Seismic Risk Mitigation ($400 million), India Cyclone Risk Mitigation ($255 million), Colombia Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Program ($340 million), and Vietnam DRM Project ($150 million)
(iv)New risk financing instruments such as the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, CAT-DDOs ($ 450 million for Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, and El Salvador), a Multi-country Catastrophe Bond Platform and a Pan Africa Drought Risk Pool feasibility study
(v)Global knowledge initiatives such as the Economics of Disaster Risk Reduction, Housing Reconstruction Handbook, Urban Flooding Handbook, Damage and Loss Assessment guidance notes in six languages, and the World Reconstruction Conference
(vi)About $150 million in Knowledge Services with over 100 cutting-edge country capacity building and technical assistance initiatives on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaption in more than 50 vulnerable countries
(vii)Innovative IT-based tools using remote sensing in support of earthquake and flood damage needs assessment in Pakistan, Africa and Philippines, and applying crowd-sourcing techniques in Haiti.
Other Highlights
·Disaster Risk Management is increasingly mainstreamed into Country Assistance Strategies (CAS) and poverty reduction strategies. A recent review confirmed that 45 CASs now recognize DRM as a cross-cutting issue.
·Crisis Response Window (CRW): Set up under IDA 16, this provides assistance for low-income countries to respond to crises including natural disasters.
·Just-in-time access to global good practices. The Bank’s capability for rapid damage and loss data analysis help governments develop appropriate recovery and reconstruction strategies. Its knowledge advisory services also serve governments facing post-disaster challenges.
·GFDRR has formed the GFDRR Labs to meet demands for innovative and creative technological approaches to DRM. A central program is the Open Data for Resilience Initiative to encourage and facilitate the sharing of climate and disaster data for more effective DRM decision-making.
·GFDRR’s program to strengthen Weather and Climate Information and Decision-Support Systems (WCIDSSs) offers an entry point for deploying end-to-end early warning systems down to the community level. WCIDSSs provide the basis for climate change assessments and cost-effective adaptation to weather and climate extremes. GFDRR has also produced Country Adaptation Profiles of the 31 priority countries which it works more closely with.
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