Annual Disaster Statistical Review: Numbers and Trends 2006 (PDF; 4.34 MB)
Source: Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters

In 2006, we observed a return to a kind of ‘normality’ after the major events of the last few years. Even though the disasters in 2006 have not captured as much attention as those of the recent past, it is important to remember that they have had devastating impacts. Every day, lives are irreparably damaged and destroyed by disasters. In 2006, there were 427 reported natural disasters that killed more than 23,000 people, affected almost 143 million others, and were the cause of more than US$ 34.5 billion in economic damages.

The figures in 2006 show that Asia remains the continent most hit by disasters, with over 44% of all reported disasters occurring in the region. Over 119 million people have been killed or affected by these extreme events, which were responsible for more than US$ 25 billion in economic damages. The two deadliest disasters in 2006 were the Indonesian earthquake that killed 5,778 people in May and Typhoon Durian in the Philippines which resulted in 1,399 deaths in December.

The 2006 numbers remind us that it is not just developing countries that are severely affected by disasters. Four European countries – France, the Netherlands, Belgium and the Ukraine – rank among the top 10 countries most affected by deadly disasters, taking 3rd, 5th, 6th and 9th place respectively. France registered 1,388 deaths, the Netherlands 1,000 and Belgium 940, all due to the heat wave in July 2006. In the Ukraine, 801 people were killed by a cold wave in January.

In terms of disaster occurrence, the figures show an increase in the number of floods, with 235 reported events accounting for 55% of all disasters registered in 2006. Floods and windstorms continued to be the two major causes of economic damage. When combined, these two extreme events caused more than US$ 25.1 billion in economic losses.

In January 2007, winds from the Atlantic of up to 216 kilometres (133 miles) per hour swept across Europe from Britain into Russia, killing around 40 people. Hundreds of thousands of homes in several countries were affected as winds ripped up trees and power lines. This shows that even countries with the best early warning systems are still vulnerable.

There is increasingly conclusive evidence which confirms that global climate change will have an impact on the occurrence and magnitude of extreme events. These impacts are envisaged to increase human vulnerability to natural disasters, thus emphasizing the need for improved measures of preparedness in every part of the world.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 26th, 2007 at 4:40 pm and is filed under Housing and real estate, Science, Social and cultural issues, Weather and climate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.