Preventive Resettlement of Populations at Risk of Disaster - GFDRR
Preventive Resettlement of Populations at Risk of Disaster - GFDRR
Preventive Resettlement of Populations at Risk of Disaster - GFDRR
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in Chile, one <strong>of</strong> the most developed countries in the<br />
region. The following section summarizes the trends<br />
in the occurrence and impact <strong>of</strong> n<strong>at</strong>ural hazard-rel<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
disasters in LAC.<br />
2.1 <strong>Disaster</strong> Occurrence<br />
The LAC Region has, after Asia, the second largest average<br />
number <strong>of</strong> disasters per year (ECLAC and IDB,<br />
2000). Figure 1.7 shows the upward trend in the occurrence<br />
<strong>of</strong> disasters associ<strong>at</strong>ed with hydrometeorological<br />
and geological hazards over the past four decades.<br />
Since the 1970s, when the region experienced an annual<br />
average <strong>of</strong> 16 major disasters, the st<strong>at</strong>istic has practically<br />
quadrupled in the most recent decade in which there<br />
were, on average, 63 disasters a year associ<strong>at</strong>ed with hydrometeorological<br />
and geological hazards.<br />
Figure 1.7 also shows the large share <strong>of</strong> hydrometeorological<br />
hazards directly associ<strong>at</strong>ed with the upward<br />
trend in the number <strong>of</strong> disasters, compared to the much<br />
more stable and lower frequency levels <strong>of</strong> disasters rel<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
to geological hazards. As with the global trends<br />
mentioned above, floods and storms are rel<strong>at</strong>ed to almost<br />
70 percent <strong>of</strong> the disasters recorded for 1970-2009.<br />
In absolute numbers, flood-rel<strong>at</strong>ed disasters have quadrupled<br />
in the past decade and storm-rel<strong>at</strong>ed disasters<br />
have increased five-fold.<br />
Drought-rel<strong>at</strong>ed disasters are also rising, with 3.5 times<br />
as many in the past decade, compared to 1970-1979.<br />
Moreover, the frequency <strong>of</strong> high temper<strong>at</strong>ure-rel<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
disasters has increased 10-fold compared to the 1970s.<br />
Table 1.2 lists the number <strong>of</strong> disasters <strong>of</strong> hydrometeorological<br />
and geological origin from 1970-2009.<br />
80<br />
70<br />
60<br />
Total Hydrometeorological Geological<br />
Figure 1.7. <strong>Disaster</strong><br />
Occurrence in LAC by Type<br />
<strong>of</strong> Hazard<br />
No. <strong>of</strong> disasters<br />
50<br />
40<br />
30<br />
20<br />
10<br />
0<br />
1970<br />
1972<br />
1974<br />
1976<br />
1978<br />
1980<br />
1982<br />
1984<br />
1986<br />
1988<br />
1990<br />
1992<br />
1994<br />
1996<br />
1998<br />
2000<br />
2002<br />
2004<br />
2006<br />
2008<br />
Source: EM-DAT.<br />
Year<br />
Table 1.2. Occurrence <strong>of</strong> <strong>Disaster</strong>s by Decade and Type <strong>of</strong> Hazard in LAC (1970-2009)<br />
Hazard<br />
Origin<br />
Type<br />
1970-1979 1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-2009 Total<br />
Earthquakes (seismic) 23 42 50 38 153<br />
Geological<br />
Landslides (tectonic) 0 3 2 1 6<br />
Volcanic eruptions 9 7 24 22 62<br />
Sub-total 32 52 76 61 221<br />
Landslides (hydric) 18 33 37 26 114<br />
Forest fires 1 6 18 13 38<br />
Hydrometeorological<br />
Floods 69 131 147 279 626<br />
Droughts 10 19 29 34 92<br />
Extreme temper<strong>at</strong>ures 3 3 13 31 50<br />
Storms 34 70 130 188 422<br />
Sub-total 135 262 374 571 1,342<br />
Total 167 314 450 632 1,563<br />
Source: EM-DAT<br />
Chapter 1 Global and L<strong>at</strong>in America and the Caribbean N<strong>at</strong>ural <strong>Disaster</strong> Trends 7