Disasters can be a country’s worst nightmare — death,
destruction and exorbitant recovery costs devastate economies
and citizens alike. Between 2002 and 2011, 4,130 disasters were
recorded around the world causing damages of at least US$1.195
trillion and killing more than a million people. Moreover, the
frequency and intensity of disasters is on the rise. But not all
countries face the same level of disaster risk. What are the
factors that determine a country’s level of risk and how can
this be expressed both qualitatively and quantitatively to
better influence policy and preparedness? This is what the 2012
edition of the WorldRiskReport (WRR) seeks to answer. The first
edition of the WRR was launched in 2011 by Alliance Development
Works in collaboration with the United Nations University
Institute for Environment and Human Security ( UNU-EHS) and The
Nature Conservancy. Designed to highlight the complex nature of
disaster risk, the WRR aims to provide tools for more effective
disaster planning and coping s