160 / 280
[
] 160
Disaster risk management:
an investment in development
Maryam Golnaraghi, PhD and Jean-Baptiste Migraine, WMO Disaster Risk Reduction Programme
T
he adoption of the
Hyogo Declaration
and the
Hyogo
Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of
Nations and Communities to Disasters
(HFA) by 168 coun-
tries during the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (January
2005, Kobe, Japan) marked the beginning of a new era for disas-
ter risk management. Over the last few years, a shift toward a
more proactive and comprehensive paradigm, with a strong focus
on prevention and preparedness, has emerged.
Every year disasters cause significant impacts around the globe.
Disasters related to meteorological, hydrological and climate-related
hazards such as floods, tropical cyclones, droughts and heat waves
are the most frequent and extensive geographically, resulting in the
largest share of overall impacts. During the period 1980 – 2005, over
two million people were killed in 7,500 disasters caused by natural
hazards worldwide.
1
During this period, about 90 per
cent of all natural disasters were of meteorological or
hydrological origin. These weather, climate and water-
related hazards alone have accounted for 1.45 million
lost lives and USD900 billion (respectively 72.5 per cent
and 75 per cent of natural hazard impacts).
Disasters produce considerable impacts on life, liveli-
hood and property. In developing and least developed
countries, these impacts can set back socio-economic
development by years, if not decades. While absolute
economic impacts of disasters are higher in the richest
countries, the impacts relative to gross domestic product
are much higher for the least developed nations.
Potential increase in the risks associated with the
changing patterns of hydrometeorological hazards (e.g.
increasing frequency and severity of droughts, extreme
temperatures, precipitation and storms) linked to climate
change, as reported in the Fourth IPCC Assessment
Reports, further stress a more immediate need for
enhanced disaster risk management capacities.
Role of WMO and NMHS
Over the years, the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) has acted as an authoritative voice on weather,
water, climate and disasters of hydrometeorological
origin, and has promoted the importance of prevention
and preparedness measures including risk assessment,
early warning systems and sectoral planning, to reduce
the impacts of weather, climate and water-related
hazards. Through the coordinated networks of the
national meteorological and hydrological services
(NMHS) of its 188 members, WMO coordinates the
Global Observing System, Global Telecommunication
System and Global Data Processing and Forecasting
System networks, providing a wide range of products
and services based on observations, monitoring, hazard
analysis, forecasting and warnings.
Since its establishment in 1950, one of WMO’s core
activities has been the consolidation of general require-
ments for global Earth observations and the coordination
of consistent, systematic and continuous collection and
archiving of hydrometeorological observations.
Furthermore, through establishing standards, guidelines
and procedures for data collection, quality control,
formatting, archiving and rescue, WMO has assisted
Richest Nations
Poorest Nations
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Economic losses
Losses as percentage of GDP
Economic losses
Source: Munich-Re, 1985-1999
Economic losses from disasters as an absolute, versus losses as a
percentage of GDP in the richest and poorest nations
S
OCIETAL
B
ENEFIT
A
REAS
– D
ISASTERS