NEWS FROM THE WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE
NEWS ADVISORY FROM THE WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE

October 9, 2001

HUMAN ACTIONS WORSEN NATURAL DISASTERS

*****************
On Thursday, October 18, the Worldwatch Institute will release its new
study, Unnatural Disasters, by Senior Researcher, Janet Abramovitz.
James Lee Witt, former Director of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management
Agency, will join in the press briefing for this study.
*****************

More people worldwide are now displaced by natural disasters than by
conflict. In the 1990s, natural catastrophes like hurricanes, floods,
and fires affected more than two billion people and caused in excess of
$608 billion in economic losses worldwide-a loss greater than during the
previous four decades combined. But more and more of the devastation
wrought by such natural disasters is "unnatural" in origin, caused by
ecologically destructive practices and an increasing number of people
living in harm's way, finds a new study by the Worldwatch Institute, a
Washington, D.C.-based environmental research organization.

"By degrading forests, engineering rivers, filling in wetlands, and
destabilizing the climate, we are unraveling the strands of a complex
ecological safety net," said Janet Abramovitz , Senior Researcher and
author of Worldwatch Paper 158, Unnatural Disasters. "We have altered
so many natural systems so dramatically, their ability to protect us
from disturbances is greatly diminished."

Also contributing to the rising toll of disasters is the enormous
expansion of the human population and the built environment, which put
more people and more economic activities in harm's way. One in three
people-some 2 billion total-now live within 100 kilometers of a
coastline. Thirteen of the world's 19 megacities (with over 10 million
inhabitants) are in coastal zones. The projected effects of global
warming, such as more extreme weather events and sea level rise, will
only magnify potential losses.

WHO: Janet Abramovitz, Senior Researcher, Worldwatch
Institute
James Lee Witt, President of James Lee Witt Associates,
Former Director FEMA

WHAT: Worldwatch Paper 158: Unnatural Disasters

WHERE: WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE, 1776 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington,
D.C.

WHEN: Thursday, October 18, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST (lunch 12-1
PM; briefing 1-2 PM)

EMBARGO: Thursday, October 18 2001, 6:00 PM EDT (10:00 PM GMT)

CONTACT: Leanne Mitchell, (202) 452-1992 Ext. 527 RSVP: Niki
Clark, (202) 452-1992 Ext. 517

To receive Worldwatch press advisories and advance releases by e-mail,
send a message to . In the first line of text,
type: .

************************************************************************
************************************************

QUICK FACTS: Worldwatch Paper 158 Unnatural Disasters

In the 20th Century, 10 million people died as a result of natural
catastrophes.

The UN named the 1990s the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction. Instead it may go down as the Decade of Disasters:

* Natural disasters in the 1990s caused over US $608 billion in economic
losses-five times the figure in the 1970s, and 15 times the total in the
1950s (p.12).

* The 1990s saw 86 great disasters (major natural catastrophes requiring
outside assistance due to extensive deaths or losses). The 1950s saw
20, the 1970s 47. (p.8)

* Between 1985 and 1999 more than 560,000 people died in natural
disasters. Only four percent were in industrial countries. (p.8) (See
also: Deaths by Region p.10 and Deaths by Disaster Type p.11)

Asia has been hardest hit by natural disasters. (p.9) Asia's tally
between 1985 and 1999:
* 90 percent of all people affected by disasters
* 77 percent of deaths from disasters
* 45 percent of recorded economic losses from disasters

COST OF DISASTERS 1985 - 1999 (Figure 4, p. 13)

Global economic losses = US $918.7 billion.
Regional breakdown:
Region Cost (US$) Share (%)

Asia $409.8 billion 45%
North America $304.4 billion 33%
Europe $112.4 billion 12%
Caribbean $30.0 billion 3%
Central America $22.3 billion 2%
Oceania $16.5 billion 2%
South America $16.4 billion 2%
Africa $6.8 billion 1%

* Between 1985 and 1999, the world's wealthiest countries sustained 57.3
percent of the measured economic losses to disasters, representing 2.5
percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the same years the world's
poorest countries endured 24.4 percent of the economic toll of
disasters, representing 13.4 percent of their GDP (Figure 5, p.14).

THE ADDED THREAT -- CLIMATE CHANGE

* During the 20th century global average sea level rose by 10 - 20
centimeters. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects
that sea levels will rise another 9-88 centimeters by 2100. (p.38).
Among other impacts, some 75-200 million more people will be flooded by
storm surges each year.

* Projected disaster-related impacts of climate change: See Figure 6
(p.32 Map) and Table 1 (p.39) Potential land loss and population exposed
by sea level rise in selected countries.

For more information, please contact:
Niki Clark, Worldwatch Institute, 202-452-1992x517;
[email protected]

************************************************************************
*****************************************