Earthquake - the worst disaster of the decade

Occupying 60% of the total number of people killed in natural disasters, the risk of stalking 8 of the 10 most populous cities in the world: Earthquake - the most terrible disaster in the past 10 years according to the United Nations report.

Storms involve 22% of deaths, while temperature changes in too hot or too cold cause 11% of deaths from 2000–2009.

According to a report by the Diseases Research Center (CRED), a total of 3853 disasters caused 780,000 deaths.

Asia is a continent adversely affected by the 85% of those affected.

The decade of the deadly disaster was the Southeast Asian tsunami in 2004, which killed more than 220,000 people as the massive wave of waves devastated the Indian Ocean coast.

Next is the cyclone Nargis disaster, which swept across Myanmar in 2008, carrying 138,000 lives.

European heat waves in 2003 were also considered to be the cause of 72,000 deaths.

CRED data estimates that there will be an additional 2 billion people affected by natural disasters, devastating asset values ​​in excess of US $ 960 billion.

Magareta Wahlstrom, secretary of the United Nations - a special representative of the problem of disaster risk reduction, said that in the last 10 years, earthquakes are the most deadly natural disaster, it poses a serious threat to millions. people all over the world.

She added that eight of the world's 10 most populous cities are located on fault lines on Earth's surface, including Tokyo, Mexico and Mumbai. Seismic risk is a constant risk and cannot be indifferent.

Earthquakes are devastating on a large scale in just a few seconds.

Referring to the magnitude of the 7.0 earthquake that rocked Haiti on 12/9, claimed the lives of 200,000 people, Wahlstrom said it was necessary to prevent recurrence of such widespread destruction.

Risk restrictions will be a major priority in Haiti and the UN will work with partners to ensure that this is the central issue of the reconstruction.

It is estimated that about one-third of the country's 9 million people are directly affected by the consequences of earthquakes.

Prof. Debarati Guha-Sapir, Director of CRED said that although we cannot do anything to prevent natural disasters, the intensity of destruction is determined by factors that can be intervened such as urbanization. urbanization, urban construction and deforestation plans.

He said the number of catastrophic events was more than double that of the 1980-89. In contrast, the number of affected people increased at a lower rate. This may be because the prevention and the readiness of the community is better.