02 May 2013 (10:45 am-12:00 pm, Hall 8, Room 3)

Asia and Pacific has especially been vulnerable to many types of disaster (floods, cyclones, earthquakes, droughts, storm surges and tsunamis). And this has resulted in significant human and economic costs. During 2001-2010, on average more than 200 million people were affected and more than 70,000 people were killed annually in the region by natural disasters. Annual direct economic damages for the region are estimated to be around US$35 billion (in 2005 US dollars) in the same period. The Great East Japan Triple Disaster in March 2011, the Thai Flood, and the massive landslides killing hundreds in the Philippines unleashed by typhoons which occurred in the same year, have underlined the awesome nature of natural disasters, the increased risk of technological disasters precipitated by natural disasters, and the long term effect of these disasters on people and the economy through disruptions to production and livelihoods. These events suggest the need for developing a flexible yet integrated framework for disaster risk management and a particular focus on implementation.

To take account of recent events and chart a practical and flexible way forward, ADB and ADBI have embarked upon a major study of disaster risk management in Asia and the Pacific. There will be presentations at the seminar followed by a panel discussion. The seminar plans to address the following key issues in DRM in the region:

• The respective role of pre-event prevention and mitigation measures and post-event rescue, relief and reconstruction;
• Key responses to reduce disaster risks and the economic and human impact of disasters, and the policies and governance structures necessary for appropriate and effective responses to take place;
• Good practices of such responses, policies and governance;
• Options for financing of disaster risk management initiatives including the role of disaster risk insurance and catastrophe bonds;
• The interaction between natural and technological hazards and its relation to economic development;
• The need for greater preparedness and resilience to meet increasing future disaster risks and the enabling policies and governance structures.

View the Disaster Risk Management in Asia and the Pacific: Issues Paper

Panelists:

Ian R. Davis
Professor, Oxford Brookes University

Stephen Groff
Vice President (Operations 2), ADB

Kiyoshi Kodera
Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency

M. Shashidhar Reddy
Vice Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority, India

Hiroshi Watanabe
CEO, Executive Managing Director, Japan Bank for International Cooperation

Moderator: Masahiro Kawai
Dean, ADB Institute

Related media

• Disaster Risk Management in Asia by the Numbers