Future Perfect

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Mitigating vulnerability for

sustainable development

Hassan Ahmad, Kyaw Swa Soe, Nursyahida Othman, Mercy Relief, Singapore

eveloping nations, which are constantly besieged by

natural or man-made crises, commonly struggle to

develop beyond their prevailing economic and living

standards. The world’s largest continent with three-fifths of

the world’s population, Asia is rich in natural resources includ-

ing petroleum, forests, fish, water, rice, copper and silver.

It accounts for about half of global trade and is expected to

develop into a global economic powerhouse. While Asia has

seen a significant decline in man-made menaces over the past

decade, it faces the increasing occurrence of natural disasters

such as floods, droughts, earthquakes, cyclones, storm surges

and tsunamis. On average, 100,000 lives are lost each year, with

more than 200 million others affected by these hydro-meteoro-

logical and geological hazards.

Hazards become disasters in the absence of development and

adequate investment in risk reduction. More natural disasters

and extreme weather events are anticipated due to climate change

and communities must develop effective preventive and response

mechanisms, incorporating adaptation to reduce the impacts.

Reducing vulnerability means improving infrastruc-

ture, education, food source, security and other factors

that contribute to peace and stability for growth. More

investment is needed to reduce the gap between rapid

economic growth and disaster risk reduction, in order

to protect social and economic assets.

The impacts of natural disasters fall disproportion-

ately on developing communities in the region, causing

loss of lives and damage to the economy and envi-

ronment. This affects peace and stability and leads to

severe setbacks for social development. Impoverished

areas are the most susceptible to catastrophic damage

from natural disasters, due to a reduced capacity to

prevent damage before and during a disaster and to

recover afterwards. Asia remains the most vulnerable

continent, with US$243 billion of economic losses

due to natural disasters in 2011 alone. Such massive

losses hinder much-needed development in the region,

which has the world’s largest percentage of people

living in poverty.

esilience

and

disaster

preparedness

Mercy Relief’s response team distributing aid to the victims of the massive Thailand floods in 2011. The country’s lack of risk prevention and intervention

have affected foreign investors’ confidence

Image: Mercy Relief