Nine key findings from the 2016 World Risk Report
The annual World Risk Report (WRR) and the World Risk Index (WRI) analyze exposure and vulnerability to natural hazards of 171 countries. This year's emphasis is on logistics and infrastructure.
Finding 1: Disaster risk is on the rise
The reported number of catastrophic droughts, floods and storms has been increasing for decades. In 1980-82, fewer than 400 such events occurred causing around $50 billion in damages. The latest data (2013 - 2015) shows that over the past 33 years, these numbers have more than doubled to nearly 900 reported events and increased fivefold (nearly $300 billion) in damages.
Finding 2: High vulnerability turns natural hazards into disasters
According to the report, a disaster occurs when an extreme natural event hits a vulnerable population. That's why Bangladesh and the Netherlands rank fifth and 49th, respectively, although both have high potential exposure to natural hazards. Countries with high vulnerability often lack basic societal functions like access to health care, fire departments and paved roads.
Finding 3: 'Critical infrastructure' is particularly vulnerable
The report lists nine categories under "critical infrastructure" that are particularly at risk: energy, information technology and communications, transport and traffic, medical services, water supply, food, finance and insurance, state and administration as well as media and culture.
Finding 4: Infrastructure is key risk factor
Infrastructure is not only vulnerable itself, it also has the potential to make people vulnerable if it is poorly built. During the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China, more than 5000 students died in schools that collapsed because they did not meet modern construction standards.
Finding 5: Human errors can exacerbate disasters
A major problem was that building codes were not adhered to. Many school buildings caved in, contributing to the high death toll. Poorly enforced regulations and corruption can drive up a society's vulnerability and its susceptibility to risk.
2016 World Risk Report
Once a year, the World Risk Report analyzes the level of exposure (likelihood of a natural disaster), vulnerability (level of susceptibility), how well can societies cope (resilience) and what preventive measures can be taken. The island nation of Vanuatu tops the list, while Qatar rank 171 making it the least exposed country, not least due to its infrastructure, this year's focal topic.
Finding 6: Quality of infrastructure determines coping capacity
An extensive, intact and reliable infrastructure can prevent a hazard from turning into a disaster. While the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti claimed 160,000 lives in 2010, only 562 people died in an 8.8 earthquake in Chile just months later. The World Bank estimates that low and medium-income countries need to invest an additional $1.5 trillion by 2020 to establish an adequate infrastructure.
Finding 7: Infrastructure affects recovery time
The triple disaster in Japan in 2011 did not affect the country's economic trajectory. Haiti, on the other hand, is still grappling with the impacts of the earthquake many years later. The comparison illustrates a correlation between vulnerability and resilience, and the capacity to deal with hazards and recover from them.
Finding 8: Parts of Africa remain at high risk
Economic buffers can make a big difference in countries such as Togo, Benin and Nigeria, which have high exposure to floods, droughts and sea-level rise. They also face high social vulnerability and development challenges, such as poor infrastructure, food insecurity as well as lack of access to clean water and sanitation. Other global risk hotspots are East Asia, South Asia and Latin America.
Finding 9: Basic Infrastructure matters most
Smartphones, drones and social media can do a lot in emergency response, but without high-quality transportation infrastructure (roads, airports, railways, etc.), humanitarian aid cannot quickly reach those in need. The 65 kilometers of paved road per 100,000 inhabitants are a dwarfed by that of the Americas (552 kilometers) and Europe (832 kilometers).