March 29, 2024 17:59 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
PM Modi to kickstart BJP's Lok Sabha poll campaign from Meerut | Kangana Ranaut in Mandi: 'Don't think I am a heroine, consider me as your sister and daughter' | Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav demand high-level probe into Mukhtar Ansari's death | PM Modi has mastered art of manipulating democracy, hurting Constitution: Mallikarjun Kharge | Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest at 63
Tsunamis account for $280 billion in economic losses over last twenty years: UNISDR

Tsunamis account for $280 billion in economic losses over last twenty years: UNISDR

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | 03 Nov 2018, 10:02 am

Geneva, Nov 3 (IBNS):  The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) has called attention to the significant loss of life and economic losses associated with tsunamis, notably for countries bordering the Indian and Pacific Oceans, over the last twenty years.

A review of available data from tsunami events puts these losses at 251,770 deaths and US$280 billion out of recorded economic losses for earthquakes and tsunamis of US$661.5 billion (1998-2017).

This compares with 998 deaths and US$2.7 billion in recorded losses from tsunamis over the previous twenty years when total recorded economic losses for earthquakes and tsunamis was US$410.9 billion (1978-1997).

The figures come from the emergency events database maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, based at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. One event, the great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011 accounts for over 19,000 deaths and economic losses of US$228 billion.

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, said: “November 5 is World Tsunami Awareness Day and it is an occasion to promote greater understanding of tsunami risk to avoid future loss of life. This year we also want to bring attention to the economic losses tsunamis can inflict as a result of damage to critical infrastructure located along vulnerable, densely populated coastlines.

“Central Sulawesi in Indonesia is still in the early stages of recovery from an earthquake and tsunami which struck on September 28 and is a vivid demonstration of why it is that earthquakes and tsunamis claim more lives than any other natural hazard and cause huge economic losses which make it more challenging to eradicate poverty in many parts of the world. We need to support Indonesia in their efforts to build back better.” 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.