BBC: Asian nations ‘face greatest natural disaster risk’

Emerging economies in Asia, including India and the Philippines, face the greatest financial risk from natural disasters, an analysis suggests. The authors based their rankings on nations’ economic activity and exposure to natural hazards, such as floods, droughts, earthquakes and cyclones.

The nations’ limited ability to recover from disasters left them exposed to severe disruption, they added. Risk analysis firm Maplecroft compiled the Natural Hazards Risk Atlas. Last year was deemed to be the most costly 12 months on record for natural disasters, costing US $380bn (£242bn). The main reason for the spike was the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011, which was estimated to have cost US$210bn.

The authors said that the world’s key growth economies were among those most exposed to risks related to natural hazards.  “China, Mexico, India, Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia, Turkey, Bangladesh and Iran are each heavily exposed to major destructive natural hazards, such as earthquakes, flooding and tropical cyclones,” they wrote.

Natural hazards risk – 2012 ranking:

• Bangladesh
• Philippines
• Dominican Republic
• Burma/ Myanmar
• India
• Vietnam
• Honduras
• Laos
• Haiti

See more, source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19254685