GAR 2015 Main Report

Part I - Chapter 2

from disasters is not statistically significant.

However, it is important to note some important regional differences in this context. Between 1980 and 2010, GDP per capita grew by 703 per cent in East Asia and the Pacific and by 293 per cent in South Asia. This development outpaced the growth in exposure in both regions, meaning that economic loss risk actually diminished

in relative terms. In contrast, in income groups with more sluggish economic growth such as the OECD, economic loss risk rose faster than GDP per capita.

At the same time, while absolute economic loss is concentrated in higher-income countries, in relative terms it is a far greater problem for lowincome countries (Figure 2.8).

Box 2.2 The Central European floods

During an unusually wet spring in Central Europe, groundwater levels were high and soils already were saturated when exceedingly high levels of rainfall occurred in late May and early June 2013, leading to severe flooding of the Elbe and Danube rivers and their tributaries. Rainfall levels with a 100-year return period were recorded,7 resulting in the evacuation of 52,500 people in Germany alone and 25 deaths across the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. Total economic losses across Central Europe have been estimated at between US$14.7 billion and US$22 billion (EM-DAT;8 Munich Re, 2014

Munich Re. 2014,After the floods, Topics Geo: Natural catastrophes 2013. Analyses, assessments, positions. 2014 Issue. Munich.. .

; Zurich Insurance, 2014

Zurich Insurance. 2014,Risk Nexus: Central European floods 2013: a retrospective, Flood resilience review 05.14.. .

). `

The events of 2002 and 2013 were by far the two greatest floods in Germany since 1900 (EM-DAT, 2014). While many areas were affected just as severely or even more so in 2013 than in 2002, the reduced loss suggests that investments were made in risk reduction (Munich Re, 2014

Munich Re. 2014,After the floods, Topics Geo: Natural catastrophes 2013. Analyses, assessments, positions. 2014 Issue. Munich.. .

; Zurich Insurance 2014). However, the fact that ten of Germany’s eleven US$1 billion disasters have occurred since 1990 clearly points to increasing risks.9

(Source: Munich Re, 2013: Geo Risks Research, NatCatSERVICE, as of January 2014.)

Figure 2.7 Overall and insured losses worldwide, 1980-2013

	50 Part I - Chapter 2 from disasters is not statistically significant. However, it is important to note some important regional differences in this context. Between 1980 and 2010, GDP per capita grew by 703 per cent in East Asia and the Pacific and by 293 per cent in South Asia. This development outpaced the growth in exposure in both regions, meaning that economic loss risk actually diminished in relative terms. In contrast, in income groups with more sluggish economic growth such as the OECD, economic loss risk rose faster than GDP per capita. At the same time, while absolute economic loss is concentrated in higher-income countries, in relative terms it is a far greater problem for lowincome countries (Figure 2.8). Box 2.2 The Central European floods During an unusually wet spring in Central Europe, groundwater levels were high and soils already were saturated when exceedingly high levels of rainfall occurred in late May and early June 2013, leading to severe flooding of the Elbe and Danube rivers and their tributaries. Rainfall levels with a 100-year return period were recorded,7 resulting in the evacuation of 52,500 people in Germany alone and 25 deaths across the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. Total economic losses across Central Europe have been estimated at between US$14.7 billion and US$22 billion (EM-DAT;8 Munich Re, 2014 x Munich Re. 2014,After the floods, Topics Geo: Natural catastrophes 2013. Analyses, assessments, positions. 2014 Issue. Munich.. . ; Zurich Insurance, 2014 x Zurich Insurance. 2014,Risk Nexus: Central European floods 2013: a retrospective, Flood resilience review 05.14.. . ). ` The events of 2002 and 2013 were by far the two greatest floods in Germany since 1900 (EM-DAT, 2014). While many areas were affected just as severely or even more so in 2013 than in 2002, the reduced loss suggests that investments were made in risk reduction (Munich Re, 2014 x Munich Re. 2014,After the floods, Topics Geo: Natural catastrophes 2013. Analyses, assessments, positions. 2014 Issue. Munich.. . ; Zurich Insurance 2014). However, the fact that ten of Germany’s eleven US$1 billion disasters have occurred since 1990 clearly points to increasing risks.9 (Source: Munich Re, 2013: Geo Risks Research, NatCatSERVICE, as of January 2014.) Figure 2.7 Overall and insured losses worldwide, 1980-2013	Page 1 Page 10 Page 20 Page 30 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 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 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