Disaster Risk Management For Coastal Tourism Destinations - DTIE

Disaster Risk Management For Coastal Tourism Destinations Responding To Climate Change
A Practical Guide For Decision Makers
The UNISDR, custodians of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), in 2007 presented
its global report on disaster risk for countries signed onto and implementing the
recommendations of the Framework. The HFA requires, as one of its fundamental
goals that countries build a culture of safety and resilience through knowledge building,
education and innovation at all levels of national government (see Chapter 3).
The 2007 UNISDR report concludes that increased climate-induced risk of hydrometeorological
hazards impacting coastal communities will likely result in a growing
aggregations of populations, social and economic investments and infrastructure
geographic regions based on these conditions. These are countries and destinations
with typically large vulnerable populations living in unplanned and marginal areas
illnesses and diseases and with limited access to basic services; characterized by
weak and inadequate governance, disaster management and early warning systems;
and poor land use and development patterns.
Hotspots are of two varieties:
Intensive disaster risk areas where people and economic activities are
heavily concentrated and exposed to occasional or frequent hazards events
with chronic impacts. These areas will continue to be affected by events with
severe hazards and major impacts of mortality and economic loss.
Regions of extensive disaster risk where people are repeatedly exposed
to localized hazard events of low intensity but with frequent asset loss and
livelihood disruption. This systematically weakens populations and their
capability systems, thereby increasing their vulnerabilities.
The UNISDR further reports that future disaster losses will be the consequence of
climate changes, with high mortality rates experienced in developing countries because
of chronic and unsolved environment-development problems and weak or ineffective
institutional systems. Communities on the development fringes are most vulnerable.
On the other hand, high economic losses are more likely to be experienced in
developed countries, which tend to have better access to resources, technologies,
governance and preparedness systems that ultimately minimize disaster mortalities.
However, because of their sizeable investment in systems and infrastructure the
consequences of economic loss are greater. The US, Japan and China are the top 3
countries reporting total economic losses from natural disasters between 1991 and
2005, of $US365B, $US209B and $US172B, respectively.
One caveat of the report is that it is possible to limit mortality with better designed
and implemented disaster risk management policies, programs and plans. This
should be the goal. Coastal destinations predominantly exposed to hydro-
urgently act to mitigate their effects through better disaster preparedness and
more resilient human systems. Better disaster preparation today is sure to result in
improved community resiliency and faster recovery, tomorrow.
86 | Achieving Community Resilience