The total death toll from natural disasters in 2014 was over 6,000, according to the Natural Disasters in Asia and the Pacific: 2014 Year in Review report, released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on Monday.
"In total, over 6,000 fatalities were caused by natural disasters, compared to 18,744 deaths in 2013," Xinhua has written quoting the report released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The report also claimed that over half of the world's 226 natural disasters in 2014 occurred in the Asia and Pacific region. The highest economic losses in Asia and the Pacific were incurred from river-basin floods and Cyclone HudHud in India, followed by the Ludian earthquake in China.
Earlier, another study published by risk analysis firm Verisk Maplecroft had shown about 56% of 100 cities most exposed to natural disasters are found in four Asian nations. Philippine cities were found most at risk from natural disasters as eight out of 10 world cities most exposed to natural disasters are located there followed by China, Japan and Bangladesh.
Recommended Post: Worst natural disasters of 2014
The 2015 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR15), launched by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) some days ago estimated that an investment of US$6 billion annually in disaster risk management would result in avoided losses of US$360 billion over the next 15 years.
In these circumstances, the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, scheduled to convene in Sendai, Japan from March 14-18, will adopt a new framework for disaster risk reduction for the coming 15 years.
Original post: Natural Disasters List May 9, 2015