Assessing the real cost of disasters: the need for better evidence

This book provides an overview of OECD countries' efforts to collect information on both the economic impacts of disasters and the level of public resources invested in the management of risk. It is based on the results of an OECD survey, two expert meetings held in 2014 and 2016 as well as complementary research conducted by the OECD Secretariat.

This book shows that, in many countries, data on the economic impact of disasters are sparse, especially for smaller-scale disasters. Where data are available, it is often not clear to what extent the estimates include both disaster damages (direct economic impacts) and losses (indirect economic impacts). Often, assessments rely on information on insured losses, which does not necessarily capture the full economic impact of a disaster. Few countries examine the distributional impacts of disasters, which are particularly relevant for effective disaster assistance programmes. In many countries, data on the public resources engaged in disaster risk management are similarly hard to come by. International efforts, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction Monitoring Process, are starting to slowly bear fruit, but further investment will be needed to build a comprehensive evidence base on the cost of disasters.