Since 1980, the economic loss risk due to floods has increased by over 160% and to tropical cyclones by 265%. For many countries, the risk of losing wealth in weather-related disasters is growing faster than GDP per capita.

Given their small size, the expected annual average losses from tropical cyclone wind damage in SIDS represents a fraction of the global total but in the case of a catastrophic one-in-250 year event, six of the top ten countries that would suffer the highest percentage losses of GDP are SIDS.

This seems to be borne out by events so far in this year’s Atlantic Hurricane season which has been marked by a series of catastrophically strong storm systems.

The losses and impacts that characterise disasters usually have as much to do with the exposure and vulnerability of capital stock as with the severity of the hazard event.

The question is how can we make SIDS more resilient and reduce the numbers of people affected by disasters if the risk continues to be ratcheted up by the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the world’s weather.

SIDS are more vulnerable to disasters because many are heavily indebted, their economies are undiversified and hazard events often affect the whole territory.

The magnifying effect of climate change includes sea level rise and associated flood and storm surge hazard, increasing cyclone wind intensity such as many Caribbean islands have already experienced this month, erosion, saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers, water scarcity and drought.

In the face of climate change, to which these islands contribute negligibly, the resilience gap is only going to grow unless there is investment which reduces the existing stock of risk, and strong policies are in place to ensure that new risk is not created through poorly informed or under-resourced investments in areas like tourism, education, health facilities, transport links and public utilities.

Low resilience and high risk mean that investments in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation are likely to reap significant benefits for SIDS. Once this Atlantic hurricane season ends, there must be a reflection on how best to take the resilience agenda forward to the benefit of the people of these island states.

Original article on Huffington Post

Date:

19 Sep 2017

Sources:

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

Hazards:

Cyclone

Countries:

Dominica