Economic losses from disasters set new record in 2012

Economic losses from disasters set new record in 2012

GENEVA, 14 March 2013 – The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today stated that for the first time in history the world has experienced three consecutive years where annual economic losses have exceeded $100 billion due to an enormous increase in exposure of industrial assets and private property to extreme disaster events.

 Some 310 disasters killed over 9,300 people in 2012 and affected 106 million others and cost 138 billion US$ (mainly in the US, Italy and China). 

63% of the economic losses were in the Americas, mainly due to Hurricane Sandy ($50 bn) and the drought ($20 bn). Europe was hit by two long cold waves at the beginning and end of the year killing almost 1,000 people and Africa was severely affected by drought but also by floods such as those in Nigeria which took over 300 lives. 

“Globally, most victims this year were from floods and droughts which were responsible for nearly 80% of all victims. But as they occur in poorer countries, the economic losses are low. Even so, the floods of Pakistan cost nearly 2% of its annual GDP which is a lot to recover. Disasters are a major problem in all poor countries and threats to global security.

Supplemental reference:

Natural Disasters Quadruple – Insurers Getting Queasy?

World’s Population Migrating into Danger

As 2013 unfolds we may or may not personally fall victim to collapsing socioeconomic conditions or extreme earth change phenomena but one thing seems almost certain–change with a capital C is inevitable, self-motivated proactive adaptation will prove to be far more successful as a self-preservation strategy than relying on the self-professed “powers that be” who have only self interest at heart.

When the time for action arrives, the time to prepare is lost.

2013-03-14 13:00:49

Source: http://beyondprophecy.blogspot.com/2013/03/economic-losses-from-disasters-set-new.html