Global report on human settlements 2007, disaster at a glance: disaster, city case studies

Cuba: Lessons in risk reduction
Cuba sits squarely in the path of hurricanes blowing up from the Caribbean into the Gulf of Mexico. According to the Cuban National Information Agency, Cuba faced 48 hydro-meteorological disasters between 1985 and 2000. A major hurricane hits the country every few years, as a result of which homes are destroyed, coastal areas flooded and agricultural production damaged; but very few people die.

Dhaka: Rapid urbanization and environmental hazards
Dhaka has a population of 11.6 million, and it is growing fast. The city is built on alluvial terraces and is exposed to flooding from rivers, direct rainfall, coastal flooding and earthquakes. With so many sources of natural hazard, one might ask how a city came to thrive in such a location. Besides, with 60 per cent of national GDP produced within the city, Dhaka is a city whose risk has national consequences.