Dhaka, Oct 13 (UNB) – Bangladesh is one of the most natural disaster-prone countries in the world with staying in the 5th position among 173 countries, according to the World Risk Report 2012 released on October 11.

Vanuatu, Tonga, Philippines and Guatemala are the four top risky countries followed by Bangladesh towards disaster. 

The report says Bangladesh has 63.78 percent vulnerability, 43.47 percent susceptibility, 86.84 percent lack of coping capacity and 61.03 percent lack of adaptive capacities having 31.70 percent exposure to risk. 

The World Risk Report examines who is at risk from natural disasters, what contributes to this risk and what can be done about it.

Environmental degradation is a significant factor that reduces the adaptive capacity of societies to deal with disaster risk in many countries around the globe. 

The balance sheet for the 10 years from 2002 to 2011 is alarming with 4,130 disasters, over one million dead and economic losses of at least 1.195 trillion US dollars. 

The report is presented by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNUEHS), the Alliance Development Works/Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). 

The centerpiece of the report, the World Risk Index, developed by UNU‐EHS in Bonn in cooperation with the Alliance determines the risk of becoming the Alliance, victim of a disaster as a result of natural hazards for 173 countries throughout the world. 

According to the presently available data, the Pacific Island state of Vanuatu has the highest disaster risk at 36.31 percent. Malta and Qatar, at 0.61 percent and 0.10 percent respectively, face the lowest risk worldwide. 

At 3.48 percent, Belgium ranks 142nd and is therefore in the lowest of the five risk categories. Additionally, the 2012 report highlights the aspect of environmental degradation and disasters.

The risk calculated by the index is determined by the extent to which communities are exposed to natural hazards such as droughts, storms or earthquakes, but also by their degree of vulnerability. The latter is dependent on social factors such as the public infrastructure, medical services, the prevailing nutritional situation, governance, the level of education, the availability of insurances that might help to deal with economic losses in an event, as well as the condition of the environment.

“The World Risk Index reveals global hotspots for disaster risk in Oceania, Southeast Asia, the southern Sahel, and especially in Central America and the Caribbean. In these places, a very high threat of natural disasters and climate change meets very vulnerable communities,” explained Prof Dr Jakob Rhyner, UNU‐EHS Director.

“An example of one such risk hotspot is Haiti. In New Zealand and Haiti, earthquakes of similar severity occurred shortly after each other. Whilst New Zealand had a death toll of 187, the earthquake in Haiti cost the lives 220,000 people. Additionally, Haiti is characterised by a high level of environmental degradation – it is placed on rank 4 worldwide regarding environmental degradation (New Zealand is placed on rank 142),” added PD Dr Jörn Birkmann, Scientific Head of the World Risk Index project at the UN University in Bonn. 

Especially, deforestation and insufficient land management are increasing the risks with regard to landslides and flooding, he underscored.

The report highlights that there are some 200 million people at risk globally who may receive risk reduction benefits from coral reefs alone. TNC was a cooperation partner in developing the focal point of this year’s report on “Environmental degradation and disasters”.

The reciprocal relationship between environmental degradation and disaster risk has not been given enough attention by governments up until now. Disaster prevention taking 'green solutions' into account should become a fundamental part of international development negotiations”, Alliance Director Mucke emphasised.