Disaster risk management in post-2015 development goals: Potential targets and indicators

This report analyzes different measures currently taken for disaster risk management (DRM) and the effects of disasters on various sectors in order to assess how DRM could be included in the post-2015 agenda.

This report is available at: http://www.odi.org.uk/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8354.pdf

Claiming the Human Right to Protection from Disasters

The article outlines why it is the citizen's right to demand protection from disasters from his/her government and other duty-bearers. If disasters are unresolved problems of development, then failing to resolve these problems is denying people their right to protection from disasters. Losses due to disaster (numbers of people affected and economic, social and environmental assets) are on the increase.

This article is available at: http://www.preventionweb.net/files/submissions/31225_righttodisasterprotection.pdf

Reducing risk of future disasters: priorities for decision makers

This report offers an overview of the present and future potential of science to inform and enhance disaster risk reduction (DRR) over the next three decades. It considers disasters whose primary causes are natural hazards. Its focus is on disasters that occur in developing countries, but lessons from past disasters in developed countries are also drawn upon. It explores the diversity of impacts, and the extent to which these are, or should be, considered by decision makers but does not review in detail the scale of past and present disasters. Available at: ...http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/foresight/docs/reducing-risk-management/12-1289-reducing-risks-of-future-disasters-report.pdf

The good, the bad and the ugly: disaster risk reduction versus disaster risk creation

Vulnerability accrues as a result of failure to explore links with poverty, risk, and disasters and tends to encourage disaster risk creation.This paper identifies seven examples of on-the-ground realities of long-term vulnerability within two clusters: (i) endangerment, which includes (1) environmental degradation, (2) discrimination and (3) displacement; and (ii) impoverishment, including (4) self-seeking public expenditure, (5) denial of access to resources, (6) corruption and (7) siphoning of public money. This article is available at:

http://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-disaster-risk-reduction-drr-versus-disaster-risk-creation-drc/

The Year that Shook the Rich: A Review of Natural Disasters in 2011

2011 proved to be the most expensive year in terms of disaster losses in history, due to spate of disasters affecting developed countries. Globally, the ecnonomic cost of disasters in 2011 was $380 billion, of which $210 billion were the result of the earthquake and tsunmai in Japan. This was 72 percent higher than the losses in 2005, the second costliest year in history of disaster-related losses. This review analyzes some of the major events and trends related to natural disasters and humanitarian disaster response in 2011.
The review is available at: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2012/03_natural_disaster_review_ferris/03_natural_disaster_review_ferris.pdf

Africa must spend 'a lot more' on non-communicable disease

To overcome the barriers and deal with a changing health situation on the continent, African health scientists need more funding and support according to the the World Health Summit held in Berlin, Germany recently. Infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS, are expected to decline while non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, will increase in Africa over the coming decades. Olive Shisana, chief executive officer of the South African Human Sciences Research Council said thet "Africa's investment in infrastructure is inadequate, especially at a time when our continent is going through an epidemiological transition. Many of these diseases can be prevented by putting scientific research and health technologies to work and affords the continent the opportunity to build capacity and to collaborate to tackle these diseases together for the benefit of the globe".

Fracking controversy

A controversial method for extracting natural gas known as hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking' is stirring an environmental and property rights debate in South Africa. The controversy comes out of concerns over the safety of the technology, which uses large amounts of clean water mixed with sand and various chemicals to crack the rocks underground to release the gas. Various reports from the United States — where the method has spread widely over the past decade — suggest that the method pollutes water supplies, potentially endangering local environments and people's health. Full article available here.

Global disaster risk: patterns, trends and drivers

This paper gives an analysis of the mortality and economic loss risk for three weather-related hazards: tropical cyclones, floods and landslides. In addition new insights have been gained into other hazards such as earthquakes, tsunami and drought. Available at: http://www.preventionweb.net/english/hyogo/gar/report/documents/GAR_Chapter_2_2009_eng.pdf

Five Feet High and Rising : Cities and Flooding in the 21st Century

Statistics appear to indicate that flood events are becoming more frequent.
Recent flood events in Pakistan, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Australia show floods can sometimes overwhelm even the best prepared countries and cities. Due to the large uncertainties in projections of climate change, adaptation to the changing risk needs to be flexible to a wide range of future scenarios. This article is available at:http://water.worldbank.org/water/node/83729