BRUSSELS, Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Environmental
degradation is a significant factor that reduces the capacity of
societies to deal with disaster risk in many countries around the
world. This is the key message of the World Risk Report 2012,
presented today in Brussels,
Belgium by the German Alliance for Development Works
(Alliance), United Nations University Institute for Environment and
Human Security (UNU-EHS) and The Nature Conservancy.
The report examines the risks of and solutions for natural
disasters. The record for the decade 2002 to 2011 is alarming:
4,130 disasters, more than a million deaths and an economic loss of
at least 1.195 trillion dollars.
The report's WorldRiskIndex, developed by UNU-EHS in cooperation
with the Alliance, determines the risk of becoming the victim of a
disaster as a result of natural hazards for 173 countries. The
Pacific Island states of Vanuatu
and Tonga have the highest
disaster risk. Malta and
Qatar face the lowest risk. The UK
ranks 139th and is therefore in the lowest of all risk
categories.
"This report illustrates the powerful role that nature can play
in reducing risks to people and property from coastal hazards like
storms, erosion and floods. Coral reefs, oyster reefs and
mangroves offer flexible, cost-effective, and sustainable first
lines of defense" said Dr. Michael
Beck, Lead Marine Scientist at The Nature Conservancy.
The Conservancy's Drs. Beck and Christine Shepard, co-authors of the WRR, found
that there are 200 million people who may receive risk reduction
from coral reefs alone – which can reduce wave energy by more than
85 percent.
The countries with the greatest number of at-risk people who may
receive risk reduction benefits from reefs (people living below 10m
elevation and within 50km of coral reefs) are Indonesia and India (> 35 M people each); followed by
the Philippines (>20M);
China (> 15 M); Brazil, Vietnam, Brazil and the USA (all > 7M).
The report comes just before the UN's International Day for
Disaster Reduction, October 13.
- NOTE: The full report, maps, illustrations and factsheets are
available at
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/habitats/oceanscoasts/howwework/2012-world-risk-report.xml
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation
organization working around the world to protect ecologically
important lands and waters for nature and people. Visit The Nature
Conservancy on the Web at http://www.nature.org/.