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** Beasiswa dalam negeri dan luar negeri S1 S2 S3 dan post-doctoral
scholarship, kunjungi
http://informasi-beasiswa.blogspot.com ** We can minimize natural
disasters
Anders Wijkman International Herald Tribune
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2005
STOCKHOLM On the first anniversary of the tsunami in South Asia, the news
media propounded the conventional wisdom that we are powerless in the face of
natural disasters, especially in the developing world. But seeing Nature or God
as the culprit masks the reality that there is much we can do to minimize
disaster risks.
Natural hazards like earthquakes and extreme weather events are beyond
human control, but we can keep them from turning into full-fledged disasters by
reducing the vulnerability of populations.
Governments and international organizations should start paying serious
attention to studies showing the importance of disaster preparedness.
The main problem is that nobody seems to feel responsibility for putting
disasters into broader perspective. Humanitarian organizations put almost all
their efforts into emergency relief, and development organizations don't see
protection against disaster as a priority. Great disasters attract a lot of
media attention, but prevention and preparedness get almost none.
Disaster prevention programs might seem to be luxuries for impoverished
countries. But there are many examples of communities and countries that have
created effective ways to reduce risks and save lives, and in the process, save
a lot of money. According to the Tearfund, a British development group, for
every dollar spent on prevention a further $4 to $10 can be saved on relief and
reconstruction.
Developing countries are by far the hardest hit by natural disasters. Of
more than two million people killed in natural disasters in the last 20 years,
98 percent were from poor countries. The number of deaths, however, is just the
tip of the iceberg. For every death there are usually 2,000 to 3,000 people
severely affected.
Industrialized countries are hit as well, but as countries become more
prosperous they are better able to afford the investments needed for prevention
and preparedness. A major earthquake in Iran, Turkey or Pakistan may kill tens
of thousands of people. A similar quake in Japan or California normally kills
only a few hundred at most. Better urban planning and stricter building codes
explain the difference.
Natural disasters already exert an enormous toll on development, and they
are on the increase. Munich Re, the world's largest reinsurance company,
estimates that the number of major disasters has quadrupled since 1960.
Economic losses have increased eight-fold.
Worse yet, disaster risks are expected to grow still more with global
warming. Extreme weather events will become more frequent and the major
consequences will be suffered by developing countries. It is estimated that, by
2025, more than half the population of developing countries will live in areas
at high risk for hurricanes and floods.
Deforestation, in particular in mountainous catchment areas, will lead to
severe flooding. And droughts hit much harder in regions where forests and
trees are gone and where topsoil is badly eroded. Those are problems that could
be improved by development policy decisions. Experience in Bangladesh shows
that the consequences of cyclones can be significantly lessened through
effective early warning systems and construction of cyclone shelters along the
coast.
Current development patterns, in particular in poorer countries, result
in more and more people and assets being concentrated in hazard-prone areas
such as flood plains, unstable slopes, coastal cities and river deltas.
Risk reduction must become a major priority in poverty reduction
strategies. Most important are activities at the community level, such as urban
planning, safer construction, environmental management, early warning systems
and training of local populations.
Maxx Dilley, co-author of the Earth Institute's 2005 report "Natural
Disasters Hotspots," wrote: "With natural hazard cycles repeating themselves
every few years, developing countries find themselves in a vicious cycle of
loss and recovery, without the ability to move forward. We recommend that the
international community manage disaster risk as an integral part of development
planning rather than only as a humanitarian issue."
What are we waiting for?
(Anders Wijkman represents Sweden in the European Parliament. He has been
secretary general of the Swedish Red Cross and assistant UN secretary general.)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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** Forum Nasional Indonesia PPI India Mailing List **
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