Disaster risk profile: Comoros

This disaster risk profile for Comoros seeks to provide a basis for the future implementation of disaster risk financing through the improved understanding of disaster risks. This analysis suggests that, on average, Comoros experiences nearly US$S.7 million in combined direct losses from earthquakes, floods, and tropical cyclones each year. However, a specific event such as a severe tropical cyclone can produce significantly larger losses. Results suggest that a 100-year return period tropical cyclone event could produce direct losses of $43 million and require approximately $9.9 million in emergency costs.

Tropical cyclones are by far the most significant risk of the three perils in this study, causing approximately 64 percent of the average loss per year. Flooding is the next largest risk. accounting for nearly 35 percent. It is important to note that an important risk on Grande Comcre, the Karthala volcano, was not included in this analysis.

In this analysis, the residential sector experiences 80 percent of the combined losses, the public sector over 11 percent, and the commercial sector nearly 6 percent. The highest loss takes place in Anjouan, which experiences nearly 80 percent of the average annual losses from the three perils combined In addition to the direct losses, an annual average of nearly $ 1.3 million is estimated for emergency costs.