Natural disaster management lessons for Asia

APD

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Natural disasters bring vulnerabilities of developing countries into sharper focus. In Asia 2014 has been a whirlwind of typhoons, droughts, floods and the inevitable human devastation they create, leaving behind wrecked economies and lives.

This year is remarkable for another reason, it marks the tenth anniversary of the Asian tsunami. Created by an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred on Sunday, 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, it triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean.

When the death toll was finally added up months later it exceeded a staggering 230,000 people in fourteen countries. Many estimates put the figure higher as entire villages were swept away in waves up to 100 feet high. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Indonesia was the hardest-hit country, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.

With a magnitude of Mw 9.1–9.3, it is the third-largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. The earthquake had the longest duration of faulting ever observed, between 8.3 and 10 minutes. It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 centimeter and triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska. The plight of the affected people and countries prompted a worldwide humanitarian response. In all, the worldwide community donated more than US$14 billion in humanitarian aid, but much of it was mismanaged as overwhelmed governments and distraught communities fought over how the aid should be utilized.

A decade later the Philippine government had to evacuate nearly 900,000 people from danger zones as Hagupit – or ‘whip’ in Filipino – tests the leadership of President Benigno Aquino, who attracted widespread criticism after Haiyan killed more than 6,200 people and left more than 1,000 missing in November last year.

The Philippines was the country most affected by weather-related events last year, according to Germanwatch’s global climate risk index, citing absolute losses at US 24.5 billion, or 3.8% of gross domestic product. Haiyan alone caused more than US 13 billion in economic damage, it said. UK research company Maplecroft ranks the Philippines second to Japan for being at-risk from tropical storms.

Typhoon Hagupit is yet another red flag moment, following virtually the same path across the Philippines as Haiyan just 13 months ago and underscoring the escalating natural disaster threat faced by the world.

It is fact that disasters are increasing in frequency and ferocity, and disproportionately impacting a region of nearly three billion people, which also happens to be the world’s growth engine. This is a serious cause for concern – both for areas in the direct line of fire and the global economy at large.

Collectively, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies account for 40% of the world’s population, half of all trade, 60% of total gross domestic product and much of global growth at present, driven by emerging markets. They also experience more than 70% of all natural disasters – ranging from extreme weather to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions – and suffered US$68 billion annually in related costs from 2003 to 2013, giving impetus for greater joint action to enhance emergency preparedness and expedite recovery.

Measures in view include advancement of a new Emergency Response Travel Facilitation initiative to ease customs and immigration bottlenecks to the rapid deployment of emergency responders, equipment and private sector assistance in a disaster.

Implementing an ambitious multi-year business continuity planning training program is another, in coordination with the private sector and prioritising grassroots engagement with small and medium enterprises that account for 97% of all firms and over half of the workforce among APEC economies.

Disruptions to cross-border production chains put entire industries, huge numbers of jobs and global trade and economic growth at considerable risk.

The introduction of a groundbreaking Global Trade Recovery Information Platform, or G-TRIP, to facilitate the exchange of critical information during major transportation disruptions, in collaboration with the World Customs Organization, will be a further point of emphasis. Others include new measures to boost disaster risk reduction in public infrastructure project evaluation, the incorporation of geospatial data in disaster management frameworks and the application of ‘big data’ and ‘open data’ to emergency preparedness.

Natural disasters are a frightening reminder of the importance of building greater resistance to shocks across communities, businesses and critical infrastructure.

Looking back on the Asian tsunami the long years battling to heal and rebuild their lives is a common enough story for thousands of tsunami survivors scattered around Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India.

One of the biggest issues that has haunted the rehabilitation process is the quality of housing provided for survivors. Take the example of Sri Lanka.

Initially, the tsunami was followed by a wave of international aid that should have been better utilized, villagers say, but wasn’t because of clogged administration, policy tangles, rampant corruption and infighting among the people. Planning delays including problems over land allocation resulted in countless delays.

Ultimately the government allocated land where donors and private organizations built houses for the survivors. But in the rush to grab the aid before it dried out many corners were cut resulting in substandard houses, which are now falling apart. Many were never even completed.

A similar situation cropped up in the Maldives. The tiny Indian Ocean group of islands was affected by the tsunami but received little attention as their plight was overshadowed by other countries.

Such oversight resulted in the government still struggling to complete nearly 400 houses on several islands. Despite the lapse of ten years many are yet to be completed though 41 homes will be handed over this week in tribute to the anniversary, local media reported.

Officials have admitted “mismanagement” was the main culprit. Indonesia and Thailand also faced huge rebuilding and rehabilitation challenges with some tsunami villages becoming “ghost towns” symbolic of bad policies, corruption and the simple vagaries of time.

Lessons from a decade ago are incredible relevant as natural disasters become a way of life around the world. Asia desperately needs to learn and improve or wind up paying too high a price.


Uditha Jayasinghe

APD writer in Sri Lanka