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Posted by
Samantha Power, 13 February 2019
The way disasters impact people’s lives can be difficult to comprehend and so can the data around disaster risk. Does the gravity of risk data resonate with people if they are only interacting with it through numbers and two-dimensional charts on a page? Can the scale of impacts be conveyed through such flat media? Will data in this format drive the level of action and innovation necessary to address growing risks in a warmer world? In the face of these challenges, art can play an increasingly... Keep reading
Posted by
Hanna Uusimaa, 31 October 2018
Overview A number of countries in the Pacific are exploring innovative measures to build resilience against disasters. In December 2017, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved the Pacific Disaster Resilience Program. The program provides a predictable and quick-disbursing source of financing for early response and recovery activities following disaster events, through policy-based operations, and supports priority actions in disaster risk management (DRM) in Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu. The... Keep reading
Posted by
Emma M. Veve, 31 October 2018
The Cook Islands government has placed significant priority upon disaster preparedness - both physical and financial readiness. As a group of 15 islands dispersed across 1,800,000 km2 of ocean in the south Pacific Ocean with a total land area of only 240km2 and a population of just over 15,000, the Cook Islands is extremely vulnerable to natural hazards. The economic effects can be significant, since 60% of the country’s gross domestic product is reliant on a single hazard-sensitive sector,... Keep reading
Posted by
Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, 11 October 2018
Over the past two weeks, the world has been monitoring the tragic impact of the tsunami in Sulawesi--a powerful reminder of the risks many communities and countries need to be prepared for every day. The scale of this disaster is apparent and shows the need for: immediate relief for those affected, international coordination and a continued investment in disaster resilience to protect lives and livelihoods. In the face of devastation, Indonesia mobilized quickly—demonstrating the country’s... Keep reading
Posted by
Barry Maher, 15 September 2017
Photo Credit: World Bank Group “This can’t be Karamoja,” I thought, looking around me. I had read the reports, which focus on the vulnerability and poverty of this region in northern Uganda, home to the Karamojong, a nomadic people with their own language, traditions, and customs. But it’s one thing to read about a place, and quite another to visit it. Karamoja was stunningly beautiful: there were boulders the size of mountains scattered across the horizon, vibrant green bushes and pasture atop... Keep reading
Posted by
Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, 16 August 2017
Many of the world’s populations are vulnerable to climate shocks – to drought, flooding, irregular rainfall and natural disasters. For these countries, cities and communities, index-based insurance is a critical risk-management tool which allows victims of such shocks to continue to have access to finance and to build resilience against future risks . Index, or parametric, insurance pays out benefits based on a pre-determined index for the loss of assets and investments as a result of weather... Keep reading
Posted by
Noah Berlatsky, 17 August 2016
When an event like the flooding in Louisiana takes place, destroying homes and disrupting and ending lives, media coverage shifts to a sober note. But the images of destruction and film reels of heroic rescuers suggest another, disconcerting dimension to catastrophe: disaster is a form of entertainment. It focuses attention, concentrates minds, and stimulates emotions. This is true in fiction, from The War of the Worlds to The Walking Dead . It’s also true in reality, where popular... Keep reading