World Bank Says Cities Unprepared For Extreme Weather Risks

World Bank expressed their concern over the big cities of the world as they may be dangerously unprepared for extreme weather and health risk potentials.

The Guardian reports that the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery reported that there is a vast increase in the calamity damages in decades. Records are even expected to grow faster in a short period of time.

Indonesia flooding is expected to rise at 166 percent over the next 30 years, and coastal flooding risks are forecasted at a 445 percent increase.

The present record of Kathmandu Nepal earthquake is likely to have a 50 percent increase in 2045 with the increase of slums and informal building.

The $6 billion amount of damage a year in 2010 on 136 cities is expected to rise to $1 trillion a year in 2070.

With the speedy boost in numbers, it is necessary to find out the risk contributing factors and the possible ways to prevent them.

Hazard, exposure and vulnerability are the three main factors contributing to the disaster risk. Sadly, hazard increases rapidly because of the climate change; exposure rises due to unsafe habitation and vulnerability grows by lack of planning on the housing location and structure.

Some disasters come unexpectedly, thereby increasing the number of casualties. For instance, the earthquake that hit Malawi in 2009 caught many citizens including officials by surprise.

"Not many people think about the African continent and its potential for earthquakes," said Alanna Simpson, GFDRR risk management specialist.

"We have a huge challenge ," said Francis Ghesquiere, GFDRR secretariat head.

"But also a huge opportunity - to try to make sure the trillions of dollars that will go into new housing, new infrastructure, the extension of cities... do not increase risk exposure but rather reduce it," he added, as per Reuters.

On the other hand, Jim Yong Kim, sees the world's unpreparedness for the extreme weather and health risks, and has introduced a more coordinated pandemic response.

He believes that partnership among governments, corporations, insurance companies and multi-lateral organizations will be a great leap towards the world's preparation to risks even those citizens do not know about, according to Georgetown.

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