THE YEAR OF RECURRING DISASTERS A REVIEW OF NATURAL DISASTERS IN 2012 The Brookings Institution – London School of Economics Project on Internal Displacement March 2013 Design: [email protected] Cover photo Tornadic supercell in the American plains. There were 1,037 tornadoes reported in the U.S. in 2012, of which at least 932 have been confirmed. Photo: © Thinkstock.com Back cover photos Left: A young girl peeks from her tent at the camp. UN Photo/Victoria Hazou. Right: Leah and Brian, just two of many New York Care organization volunteers, handing out bottled water to residents of Brooklyn, NY after Hurricane Sandy. Photo: © Tomatika | Dreamstime.com THE YEAR OF RECURRING DISASTERS: A REVIEW OF NATURAL DISASTERS IN 2012 BY ELIZABETH FERRIS, DANIEL PETZ AND CHAREEN StarK March 2013 PUBLISHED BY: THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION – LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS PROJECT ON INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT NORTH DARFUR, SUDAN A local trader prepares jerry cans at the voucher distribution centre at Abu Shouk Camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North Darfur. Photo: UN Photo/Albert González Farran CABARET, HAITI UN peacekeepers from Paraguay and members of the Haitian Department of Civil Protection evacuate residents during a disaster response simulation. Photo: UN Photo/Victoria Hazou ABOUT THE BROOKINGS-LSE PROJECT ON INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT he mission of the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement is to promote the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), in particular by supporting Tthe work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons. The Project promotes the dissemination and application of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement; works with governments, regional bodies, international organizations and civil society to create more effective policies and institutional arrangements for IDPs; convenes international seminars on internal displacement; and publishes major studies, articles and reports. The Brookings Institution is a private nonprofit organization devoted to research, education and publication on important issues of domestic and foreign policy. Its principal purpose is to bring the highest quality research and analysis to bear on current and emerging policy problems. Interpretations or conclusions in Brookings publications should be understood to be solely those of the authors. Elizabeth Ferris Daniel Petz Chareen Stark is Co-Director of the is a Senior Research is a Senior Research Brookings-LSE Project on Assistant on Natural Assistant at the Brookings- Internal Displacement and Disasters at the Brookings- LSE Project a Senior Fellow in Foreign LSE Project on Internal Displacement. Policy at the Brookings on Internal Displacement. Institution. III IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................. vi FOREWORD ............................................................................................................ ix EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................... xi INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... xv CHAPTER 1: THE YEAR OF RECURRING DISASTERS ...................................... 1 Section 1: Disaster Statistics and Trends in 2012 ................................................... 1 Section 2: Continuing, Recurring, Cascading Disasters ......................................... 5 Section 3: Review of Some of the Major Disasters in 2012 ................................... 19 Section 4: International Humanitarian Disaster Funding in 2012 ............................ 29 CHAPTER 2: ASSESSING THE WORK OF REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT ...................................................................... 37 Section 1: Introduction and Methodology: Why a Focus on Regions? ................... 37 Section 2: Comparing Regional Organizations: Applying the Indicators ................ 43 Section 3: Conclusion ............................................................................................. 51 CHAPTER 3: IT ONLY TAKES A SPARK: THE HAZARD OF WILDFIRES ........... 53 Section 1: Wildfires: From Hazard to Disaster ....................................................... 54 Section 2: More Fires on the Horizon: Wildfire Trends, Urban Sprawl and Climate Change ..................................................................................... 60 Section 3: Fight Fire with Fire: Concluding Thoughts ............................................. 65 CHAPTER 4: DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT: A GENDER-SENSITIVE APPROACH IS A SMART APPROACH ................................................................... 71 Section 1: Understanding Gender-Based Vulnerabilities ....................................... 75 Section 2: Filling the Void: Women as Disaster Risk Reduction Agents ................. 79 Section 3: Recommendations and Conclusion ....................................................... 84 ANNEX I: A Word on Definitions and Sources: Problems of Definition, Problems of Methodology ...................................................................................... 89 ANNEX II: Publications and events on Natural Disasters and Climate Change by the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement ....................... 95 V TABLES AND GRAPHS Table 1: Natural Disasters Worldwide, 2002-2012 ......................................................... 2 Table 2: Natural Disasters in 2012 by Number of Fatalities ............................................ 3 Table 3: Major Disasters in 2012 in Terms of Affected Population .............................. 4 Table 4: Funding for Humanitarian Responses to Natural Disasters, 2012 ............... 31 Table 5: Consolidated and Flash Appeals, 2012 .............................................................. 33 Table 6: Pooled Humanitarian Funds, 2012 ....................................................................... 34 Table 7: Year of Establishment of Regional DRR/DM Frameworks .............................. 44 Table 8: Major Wildfire Disasters, 1983-2012, in Terms of Fatalities and Economic Damage ........................................................................................... 56 Table 9: Cost Breakdown of 1997 Indonesia Wildfires .................................................. 57 Graph 1: 2011-2012 Disaster Loss Events by Disaster Category ............................... 19 Graph 2: Total Humanitarian Contributions, 2000-2012 .................................................. 30 Graph 3: Funding for Humanitarian Responses to Natural Disasters, 2004-2012 .... 30 Graph 4: International Humanitarian Funding for Natural Disaster Response, 2012 31 Graph 5: Number of Observed Fire Occurrence Readings from Combined Remote Sensing Products, 1996-2007 ............................................................................. 55 Graph 6: Wildfires and Acres Burned in the US, 1960-2012 ........................................ 60 VI THE YEAR OF RECURRING DISASTERS: A REVIEW OF NATURAL DISASTERS IN 2012 ACRONYMS AHA ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance AU African Union ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations ATSR Along Track Scanning Radiometer CAN Andean Community of Nations CARICOM Caribbean Community CAP Consolidated Appeal Process CAPRADE Andean Committee for Disaster Prevention and Assistance CCRIF Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility CDEMA Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency CEPREDENAC Coordination Center for Natural Disaster Prevention in Central America CERF Central Emergency Response Fund CHF Common Humanitarian Fund CoE Council of Europe CRED Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters DRM Disaster Risk Management DRR Disaster Risk Reduction ECHO European Community Humanitarian Office ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States EM-DAT Emergency Events Database (International Disaster Database) ERF Emergency Response Fund EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FCPF Forest Carbon Partnership Facility FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FIP Forest Investment Program FTS Financial Tracking Service GDP Gross Domestic Product GFDRR Global Facility for Disaster Risk and Reconstruction HFA Hyogo Framework for Action IASC Inter-Agency Standing Committee IDMC Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre IDP Internally Displaced Person VII ACRONYMS ACRONYMS (continuation) IDRL International Disaster Response Law IFRC International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IGAD Intergovernmental Authority on Development IMF International Monetary Fund IOM International Organization for Migration IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IRIN Integrated Regional Information Networks LAS League of Arab States MODIS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer NGO Non-governmental Organization NHC National Hurricane Center NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NRC Norwegian Refugee Council OAS Organization of American States OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development OFDA Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID) PPP Purchasing Power Parity REDD Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation SADC South African Development Community SICA Central American Integration System SOPAC South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFCC United Nations