Disasters: Asia and the Pacific

About 75 per cent of the world's major natural catastrophes between 1970 and 1997 occurred in the Asia and the Pacific region, mostly in poverty-ridden developing countries (UNESCAP and ADB 2000). There has been a general upward trend in the number of natural disasters due to hydrometeorological events (such as cyclones and flooding) in the region, while geophysical disasters such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis have remained fairly steady (see figure).

Trends in disasters (number/year): Asia and the Pacific

Disasters caused by water and weather hydrometeorological disasters) have become more frequent while the number of geophysical disasters remains fairly constant Source: CREDOFDA 2002