Reducing Vulnerability and Exposure to Disasters
The Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2012
Reducing Vulnerability and Exposure to Disasters
The Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2012
ESCAP
United Nations Building
Rajdamnern Nok Avenue
10200 Bangkok - Thailand
www.unescap.org
UNISDR
United Nations Building
Rajdamnern Nok Avenue
10200 Bangkok - Thailand
www.unisdr.org
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Executive Summary
The past two years have been challenging ones for the Asia-Pacific region in several respects, but 2011 has been particularly unforgettable for how it has focused the attention of so many people on the crucial matters of life, death and loss. The Great East Japan Earthquake and devastating tsunami, the ensuing nuclear disaster which it provoked, and then the Southeast Asian floods that severely affected South-East Asia, particularly Thailand, were major contributors to the staggering $294 billion in losses from disasters suffered by States in the region during 2011. This amount was 80 per cent of the annual global disaster losses of $366.1 billion; it is even more striking that the region’s single year losses were also 80 per cent of its total disaster losses from the decade 2000-20
