ManilaTimes-Sept 12
THE Philippines topped the list of 193 countries at risk of natural disasters, the 2024 World Risk Report revealed. According to the report, the country has a WorldRiskIndex score of 46.71, which is “very high,” with exposure scoring 39.99 (very high), vulnerability at 55.03 (very high), susceptibility at 51.16 (very high), lack of coping capabilities at 58.07 (very high) and lack of adaptive capacities at 56.10 (high). Also, the WorldRiskIndex showed that the country was among 10 hotspots in Asia and the Americas, along with Indonesia (WorldRiskIndex score of 41.13), India (40.96), Colombia (37.81), Mexico (35.93), Myanmar (35.85), Mozambique (34.44), Russia (28.12), Bangladesh (27.73), and Pakistan (27.02). The German-based report said the country was hit with 22 tropical cyclones during the Covid-19 pandemic, among them being Super Typhoon Rolly (Goni), which hit Catanduanes and killed 32 people. “During the coronavirus pandemic, psychosocial and economic stress increased worldwide. In countries that were affected by extreme natural events at the same time, these burdens intensified. Hundreds of thousands of destroyed homes, overcrowded evacuation centers, and the resulting increase in Covid-19 cases not only led to a dramatic increase in humanitarian needs but also had a negative impact on the mental health of the population,” the report said. The World Risk Report also said global disaster risks are linked to poverty and inequality in their respective countries. Read more at: https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/09/12/news/ph-most-at-risk-from-calamities/1970832
