Dyson College of Arts and Sciences
Issue link: http://dysoncollege.uberflip.com/i/128987
Securing Our Common Future Strengthening the Resilience of Communities and Nations The Power of Private and Public Sector Interdependencies Address by Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, I am honored to have been invited to contribute to this conference and share the United Nations' perspective on risk, risk management, and risk reduction. More than 40 years of work on hazards, risks, and practical means to reduce the risks of loss of life, as well as social and economic losses due to natural hazards, have created a significant body of knowledge. Today, what challenge are we facing? To turn this knowledge into practical application, to adjust it to emerging issues, and to overcome strongly held perceptions about "the other" and "self." Your presence here today is a strong message that progress is made. Can we, though, accelerate progress and achieve a significant drop in losses within the coming 10 years? 2011 was a new record year in disaster losses. The reinsurance company Munich Re recorded 380b USD of global economic losses (two-thirds higher than in 2005, the previous record). Two-thirds of the economic losses were caused by the earthquakes in Japan and in New Zealand, while 90 percent of the hazards events were caused by weather. Research published in the UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction shows that while in the past 30-plus years the world population has increased by 87 percent, during that same period the population growth in floodprone river delta regions have increased by 114 percent, and by 195 percent in cyclone/ hurricane-prone coastal regions. The message is clear: We are putting our economic, social, cultural, and business assets in the most high-risk areas because that is where wealth and our future are generated. Cities, rapidly growing urban areas, are producing most of the world's economic output. However, cities are also highly vulnerable and exposed to risks from natural, and technological hazards. Economic losses from disasters are growing fast, faster than the GDP growth in most countries, including the richest countries. Perhaps I should say especially in the richest countries, as they have most of the insured value. Risk is increasing fastest in middle-income countries, due to the imbalance between growth in assets and regulatory frameworks and institutional capacity. Progress has been made in many countries to improve preparedness and relief in acute disaster situations. In fact, in one region, East Asia, the losses of lives have been reduced very significantly thanks to early warning systems, evacuations, awareness, and education of the public. Where we are still losing ground is on economic and physical losses, political loss, and the medium and long-term social losses from disasters and disruptive events. The efforts to agree on a global climate agreement to reduce the climate warming are not making progress. While the practical impacts are clear, and warming increases, action is being postponed. This will continue to aggravate weather conditions and perpetuate 17