Reuters AlertNet Lite - ASIA: Bangkok to host regional disaster reduction conference

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ASIA: Bangkok to host regional disaster reduction conference

24 Mar 2009 09:38:10 GMT
Source: IRIN

Background

• Disaster risk reduction

BANGKOK, 24 March 2009 (IRIN) - Countries from Asia and the Pacific – the most disaster-prone region in the world – will gather in Bangkok this week to discuss a risk-reduction strategy.

More than 180 delegates from 25 countries will attend the first session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) [see: http://www.unescap.org/] on 25 March.

As part of the two-day conference, a round-table will be held to exchange knowledge and experiences among participants on disaster risk reduction and implications for social and economic development.

The Asia-Pacific region is particularly disaster-prone, experiencing 42 percent of the world's natural disasters, with a disproportionate 65 percent of people affected.

In 2008, 235,816 people were killed worldwide by 321 disasters, the UN's International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Secretariat [see: http://www.unisdr.org/] reported, with the Centre for Research and Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) [see: http://www.cred.be/].

Nine of the top 10 countries with the highest number of disaster-related deaths were in Asia, ISDR reports.

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