Tuesday, 9 December 2014 00:07
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NATURAL disasters bring vulnerabilities of developing countries into sharper focus. As yet another typhoon lashed the Philippines members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have swung into gear to push for greater coordination. Yet a larger global pact remains fraught with challenges.
The Philippine Government has evacuated nearly 900,000 people from danger zones as Hagupit - or ‘whip’ in Filipino - tests the leadership of President Benigno Aquino, who attracted widespread criticism after Haiyan killed more than 6,200 people and left more than 1,000 missing in November last year.
The Philippines was the country most affected by weather-related events last year, according to Germanwatch’s global climate risk index, citing absolute losses at $ 24.5 billion, or 3.8% of gross domestic product. Haiyan alone caused more than $ 13 billion in economic damage, it said. UK research company Maplecroft ranks the Philippines second to Japan for being at-risk from tropical storms.
Typhoon Hagupit is yet another red flag moment, following virtually the same path across the Philippines as Haiyan just 13 months ago and underscoring the escalating natural disaster threat faced by the world.
It is fact that disasters are increasing in frequency and ferocity, and disproportionately impacting a region of nearly three billion people, which also happens to be the world’s growth engine. This is a serious cause for concern - both for areas in the direct line of fire and the global economy at large.
Collectively, APEC member economies account for 40% of the world’s population, half of all trade, 60% of total gross domestic product and much of global growth at present, driven by emerging markets like the Philippines. They also experience more than 70 % of all natural disasters – ranging from extreme weather to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions – and suffered $ 68 billion annually in related costs from 2003 to 2013, giving impetus for greater joint action to enhance emergency preparedness and expedite recovery.
Measures in view include advancement of a new Emergency Response Travel Facilitation initiative to ease customs and immigration bottlenecks to the rapid deployment of emergency responders, equipment and private sector assistance in a disaster.
Implementing an ambitious multi-year business continuity planning training program is another, in coordination with the private sector and prioritising grassroots engagement with small and medium enterprises that account for 97% of all firms and over half of the workforce among APEC economies.
Disruptions to cross-border production chains put entire industries, huge numbers of jobs and global trade and economic growth at considerable risk.
The introduction of a groundbreaking Global Trade Recovery Information Platform, or G-TRIP, to facilitate the exchange of critical information during major transportation disruptions, in collaboration with the World Customs Organization, will be a further point of emphasis. Others include new measures to boost disaster risk reduction in public infrastructure project evaluation, the incorporation of geospatial data in disaster management frameworks and the application of ‘big data’ and ‘open data’ to emergency preparedness.
Typhoon Hagupit is a frightening reminder of the importance of building greater resistance to shocks across communities, businesses and critical infrastructure. So far South Asia has failed in such an endeavour and could well pay a high price for it.
