The impact of disasters on agriculture: Addressing the information gap

This report summarises data on the impact of natural hazards such as drought and flood on agricultural production, including damage to and loss of crops and livestock. It aims to fill a knowledge gap and inform decision-making for DRR, sustainable development and emergency response planning.

This is the second periodic report in 2017 by the FAO. It includes analyses of impacts from natural hazard-induced disasters, namely:

• Drought and other meteorological and climatological disasters (extreme temperatures, storms and wildfires)
• Floods
• Geophysical (earthquakes, tsunamis and mass movements)
• Biological disasters (epidemics, infestations and animal disease)

The report also includes a special focus on biological disasters, such as transboundary animal diseases as well as on protracted crises in conflict contexts.

FAO has applied a combination of methods, juxtaposing different information sources to gauge estimates of damage and losses incurred in crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry in the aftermath of hazardous events and crises.

In addition to large-scale events, medium- and small-scale disasters, despite their limited scale, can have a significant impact. The second report considers different types of disasters affecting over 100 000 people or more than 10 percent of the national population.