GAR 2015 Main Report

Part I - Chapter 2

2.1 Saving lives

The last decade has seen dramatic reductions in disaster mortality in selected countries and regions. But not all countries have been able to reduce the vulnerabilities associated with disaster mortality faster than the hazard-exposed population has increased.

The super-cyclone that impacted the State of Odisha, India on 29 and 30 October 1999 killed 9,843 people. Fourteen years later, in October 2013, no more than 47 died when the equally powerful Cyclone Phailin swept through the same area. This dramatic reduction in disaster mortality has been attributed to improvements in disaster risk management effected by the Odisha State Government (GFDRR, 2013a

GFDRR (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery). 2013a,Stories of Impact: Big Disaster Planning Pays Off in Odisha, India, The World Bank, Washington, D.C.. .

; UNEP, 2013

UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). 2013,Cyclone Phailin in India: Early Warning and Timely Actions Save Lives, UNEP, Global Environmental Alert Service. November 2013.. .

The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) was established shortly after the super-cyclone in 1999 (GFDRR, 2013a

GFDRR (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery). 2013a,Stories of Impact: Big Disaster Planning Pays Off in Odisha, India, The World Bank, Washington, D.C.. .

). Subsequently, 200 cyclone shelters were built and early warning systems were developed, including communication networks that enabled warnings to reach both exposed communities and fishermen out at sea. Embankments were built to protect against storm surges and coastal flooding. When cyclones are predicted, reservoir levels are now lowered in order to mitigate anticipated inland flooding. At the same time, the vulnerability of urban areas has been assessed and building codes introduced (GFDRR, 2013a

GFDRR (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery). 2013a,Stories of Impact: Big Disaster Planning Pays Off in Odisha, India, The World Bank, Washington, D.C.. .

; UNEP, 2013

UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). 2013,Cyclone Phailin in India: Early Warning and Timely Actions Save Lives, UNEP, Global Environmental Alert Service. November 2013.. .

). In addition, the accuracy of forecasts made by the

Twenty-five years after UN Member States adopted the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) and ten years after the adoption of the HFA, global disaster risk has not been reduced significantly. While improvements in disaster management have led to dramatic reductions in mortality in some countries, economic losses are now reaching an average of US$250 billion to US$300 billion each year.

Indian Meteorological Department has greatly improved. In 2013, warnings were disseminated four days before Cyclone Phailin made landfall, which points to a significant improvement compared to the two days’ warning given in 1999 (UNEP, 2013

UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). 2013,Cyclone Phailin in India: Early Warning and Timely Actions Save Lives, UNEP, Global Environmental Alert Service. November 2013.. .

). Finally, the cyclone made landfall in a pre-electoral period, meaning that both the national and state governments deployed all available resources to ensure that the disaster was well managed and its impacts minimized.

The case of Odisha is indicative of a trend which was modelled in GAR11 (UNISDR, 2011a

UNISDR. 2011a,Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: Revealing Risk, Redefining Development, Geneva, Switzerland: UNISDR.. .

) and in which improving development conditions and strengthened disaster management lead to dramatically reduced mortality, at least in those events for which warning is possible. Globally, the modelled mortality risk associated with floods and tropical cyclones was estimated to have peaked in the year 2000 before trending down.1 In East Asia and the Pacific,2 for example, the number of people exposed to floods and tropical cyclones each year is estimated to have increased by around 70 per cent since 1980, while modelled mortality risk is estimated to have halved (UNISDR, 2011a

UNISDR. 2011a,Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: Revealing Risk, Redefining Development, Geneva, Switzerland: UNISDR.. .

). However, in sub-Saharan Africa, estimates indicate that modelled flood mortality risk has grown consistently since 1980 (UNISDR, 2011a

UNISDR. 2011a,Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: Revealing Risk, Redefining Development, Geneva, Switzerland: UNISDR.. .

) because increasing population exposure has not been accompanied by a commensurate reduction in vulnerability. Not all countries have been able to reduce the vulnerabilities associated with disaster mortality faster than the hazardexposed population has increased.

Disaster mortality risk is closely correlated with income and the quality of governance. Since 1990, almost 90 per cent of the mortality recorded in

	44 Part I - Chapter 2 2.1 Saving lives The last decade has seen dramatic reductions in disaster mortality in selected countries and regions. But not all countries have been able to reduce the vulnerabilities associated with disaster mortality faster than the hazard-exposed population has increased. The super-cyclone that impacted the State of Odisha, India on 29 and 30 October 1999 killed 9,843 people. Fourteen years later, in October 2013, no more than 47 died when the equally powerful Cyclone Phailin swept through the same area. This dramatic reduction in disaster mortality has been attributed to improvements in disaster risk management effected by the Odisha State Government (GFDRR, 2013a x GFDRR (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery). 2013a,Stories of Impact: Big Disaster Planning Pays Off in Odisha, India, The World Bank, Washington, D.C.. . ; UNEP, 2013 x UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). 2013,Cyclone Phailin in India: Early Warning and Timely Actions Save Lives, UNEP, Global Environmental Alert Service. November 2013.. . ). The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) was established shortly after the super-cyclone in 1999 (GFDRR, 2013a x GFDRR (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery). 2013a,Stories of Impact: Big Disaster Planning Pays Off in Odisha, India, The World Bank, Washington, D.C.. . ). Subsequently, 200 cyclone shelters were built and early warning systems were developed, including communication networks that enabled warnings to reach both exposed communities and fishermen out at sea. Embankments were built to protect against storm surges and coastal flooding. When cyclones are predicted, reservoir levels are now lowered in order to mitigate anticipated inland flooding. At the same time, the vulnerability of urban areas has been assessed and building codes introduced (GFDRR, 2013a x GFDRR (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery). 2013a,Stories of Impact: Big Disaster Planning Pays Off in Odisha, India, The World Bank, Washington, D.C.. . ; UNEP, 2013 x UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). 2013,Cyclone Phailin in India: Early Warning and Timely Actions Save Lives, UNEP, Global Environmental Alert Service. November 2013.. . ). In addition, the accuracy of forecasts made by the Twenty-five years after UN Member States adopted the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) and ten years after the adoption of the HFA, global disaster risk has not been reduced significantly. While improvements in disaster management have led to dramatic reductions in mortality in some countries, economic losses are now reaching an average of US$250 billion to US$300 billion each year. Indian Meteorological Department has greatly improved. In 2013, warnings were disseminated four days before Cyclone Phailin made landfall, which points to a significant improvement compared to the two days’ warning given in 1999 (UNEP, 2013 x UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). 2013,Cyclone Phailin in India: Early Warning and Timely Actions Save Lives, UNEP, Global Environmental Alert Service. November 2013.. . ). Finally, the cyclone made landfall in a pre-electoral period, meaning that both the national and state governments deployed all available resources to ensure that the disaster was well managed and its impacts minimized. The case of Odisha is indicative of a trend which was modelled in GAR11 (UNISDR, 2011a x UNISDR. 2011a,Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: Revealing Risk, Redefining Development, Geneva, Switzerland: UNISDR.. . ) and in which improving development conditions and strengthened disaster management lead to dramatically reduced mortality, at least in those events for which warning is possible. Globally, the modelled mortality risk associated with floods and tropical cyclones was estimated to have peaked in the year 2000 before trending down.1 In East Asia and the Pacific,2 for example, the number of people exposed to floods and tropical cyclones each year is estimated to have increased by around 70 per cent since 1980, while modelled mortality risk is estimated to have halved (UNISDR, 2011a x UNISDR. 2011a,Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: Revealing Risk, Redefining Development, Geneva, Switzerland: UNISDR.. . ). However, in sub-Saharan Africa, estimates indicate that modelled flood mortality risk has grown consistently since 1980 (UNISDR, 2011a x UNISDR. 2011a,Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: Revealing Risk, Redefining Development, Geneva, Switzerland: UNISDR.. . ) because increasing population exposure has not been accompanied by a commensurate reduction in vulnerability. Not all countries have been able to reduce the vulnerabilities associated with disaster mortality faster than the hazardexposed population has increased. Disaster mortality risk is closely correlated with income and the quality of governance. Since 1990, almost 90 per cent of the mortality recorded in	Page 1 Page 10 Page 20 Page 30 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 ->Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 60 Page 70 Page 80 Page 90 Page 100 Page 110 Page 120 Page 130 Page 140 Page 150 Page 160 Page 170 Page 180 Page 190 Page 200 Page 210 Page 220 Page 230 Page 240 Page 250 Page 260 Page 270 Page 280 Page 290 Page 300 Page 310