Chapter 4

ADRC-Natural Disasters Data Book-2002

4.2 Member Countries and their Disaster Characteristics:
Table 5:Natural Disasters in Member Countries (2002 Summary)(Country/Disaster Type/Disaster Characteristics)
Data
Country

DisTypeCount ofSum of

DisNo

KilledSum of TotAff

Sum ofDamageUS$(000´s)

Bangladesh

Epidemic

1

96

49,904Extreme temp

1

700

50,000

Flood

1

10

1,500,000

Wind storm

4

122

101,400

7928

1,701,304

Drought10

650,000

Flood

1

29

1,470,000

2

29

2,120,000

Drought201,218,000

Earthquake

2

2

65,870

Epidemic

1

5

300

Extreme temp

1

7

3,500

Flood

10

1,228

113,255,696

Slide

4

63

11

Wind storm

6

98

107,403,084

256,500

26

1,403

221,946,461

5,493,180

300,000,000

910,721

Bangladesh Total

Cambodia

Cambodia Total

China, P Rep

China, P Rep Total

India

38,0005,236,680

Drought

1

Earthquake

1

2

200

Epidemic

2

50

5,150

Extreme temp

2

1,930

Flood

6

732

42,005,250

30,772Wind storm

4

144

15,250

416

16

2,858

342,025,850

941,909

4

11

11,847

India Total

Indonesia

38,000Earthquake

３５

Chapter 4

ADRC-Natural Disasters Data Book-2002

Epidemic

1

17

757

Flood

7

230

133,180

Slide

1

32

5

Volcano

1

0

5,000

Country

DisTypeCount ofSum of

DisNo

KilledSum of TotAff

16,000Sum ofDamageUS$(000´s)

Wild fire

1

0

200

15

290

150,989

Wild fire

1

0

222

Wind storm

35100,8254

5

101,047

Flood

1

20

27,507173,224

Wind storm

2

96

91,429215,000

3

116

118,936

388,224

1

0

1,002

1,500

1

0

1,002

1,500

1

2

74,500Lao, P Dem Rep Total

1

2

74,500

Malaysia

Slide

1

10

Wind storm

1

2

155

2

12

155

Indonesia Total

Japan

Japan Total

Korea, Rep

Korea, Rep Total

Kyrgyzstan

Slide

Kyrgyzstan Total

Lao, P Dem Rep

Flood

Malaysia Total

Mongolia

Drought

1

Wind storm

2

3665,000

3

3665,000

1

21

50,0001

2150,000Extreme temp

1

60

200

Slide

1

472

265,865

Nepal Total

2532

266,065

Papua New Guinea Earthquake

2

5

5,470

Epidemic

2

142

2,215

Slide

1

36

174

Mongolia Total

Myanmar

Flood

Myanmar Total

Nepal

３６

16,000Chapter 4

ADRC-Natural Disasters Data Book-2002

Volcano1

0

13,000

Papua New Guinea Total

6

183

20,859

Philippines

Drought

1

Earthquake

1

7

73,390

1,714

Flood

4

85

150,567392

Wind storm

3

102

714,041

6,914

9

194

937,998

9,473

Philippines Total

Country

DisType

453

Count ofSum of

DisNo

KilledSum of TotAff

Sum ofDamageUS$(000´s)

RussiaExtreme temp

1

242

25,062

Flood

4

174

336,313

Slide

1

111

Wild fire3

Wind storm

2

17

11

544

361,495

Drought

10557,000

Flood

1

Russia Total

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Total

Tajikistan

507,970

500,0000

1,057,000

Earthquake

2

3

2,054

Flood

4

32

4,251

2,836

6

35

6,305

2,836

Drought1

05,000,000

2,300

Flood

2

154

3,290,920

35,827

Slide

1

39

500,000

Wind storm

2

027,5006

193

8,818,420

Drought101,000,000

Flood

3

207

1,514,816

43,500Wild fire

1

Wind storm

1

0

1,800

100

6

207

2,516,616

43,600Thailand Total

Viet Nam

120

2

Tajikistan Total

Thailand507,970

Viet Nam Total

３７38,127

Chapter 4

ADRC-Natural Disasters Data Book-2002

Grand Total

129

7,555

582,940,002

7,480,819

Table 4 showed the effect of various types of natural disasters according to member
country and Table 5 showed the make up of natural disasters within each member country.
In Bangladesh, epidemics, extreme temperatures, floods, and windstorms occurredand almost all of these disasters caused considerable human suffering and loss of life. The
most severe disaster was the flood in 2002. It is known that Bangladesh is a path for cyclones
spawned in the Bay of Bengal, making the country prone to hydro-meteorological disasters.
In China, almost every type of disaster was recorded, as China encompasses a vastland with a population. The most severe disasters in China in the year 2002 were floods andwindstorms followed by droughts. Also, earthquakes considerably affected the population. For
2002, the second largest natural disaster in China in terms of affected population was flood.
The year 2002 brought the most disaster to India, where the most severe drought in
the world occurred and affected about 300 million people. This was the most serious disasterin the year 2002. Floods also seriously affected the people. India is geographically located in anatural disaster prone area that is affected by windstorms spawned in the Bay of Bengal andthe Arabian Sea, earthquakes caused by active crustal activity in the Himalayan Mountains,
floods brought by monsoons, and drought happening in arid and semi arid areas.
Floods, earthquakes, and volcanic activity were the disasters that most affected
Indonesia in the year 2002. These were found to be the most serious disasters in terms ofaffected population. Since there are seismic belts running through the country, Indonesia isan earthquake prone country. Moreover there are 129 active volcanoes and volcanic eruptions
often happen in the country. Floods tend to occur along with windstorms in the rainy season

３８

Chapter 4

ADRC-Natural Disasters Data Book-2002

in Indonesia.
In Japan year 2002 is not as bad as previous years in terms of damage but there wassignificant amount of affected population due to windstorms.
Most of the natural disasters that occur in Korea are characterized as floods in therainy season and windstorms. The year 2002 also recorded floods and windstorms in Korea,
and the human suffering and economic loss caused by them were also quite high.
Kyrgyz is the newest ADRC member country and almost 90% of the land is covered
with mountains that are above 1,000 meters above sea level, and about 40% of the mountains
are in alpine areas over 3,000 meters high. The distinctive natural disasters of Kyrgyz are
earthquakes accompanied by active crustal deformation; floods caused by snowmelt andlandslides. In 2002, Kyrgyz also recorded slide disasters causing human sufferings.
Laos is 95% covered by mountains and it owns environmentally sound natural forest
compared to other areas of Asian region. Further about 35% of the Mekong River also runs
through Laos. Consequently, the country is prone to floods during the rainy season. As such,in 2002, floods in Laos caused large amount of human suffering.
In Malaysia, Floods and landslides caused by rainfall during the monsoon season,and rainstorms triggered by tropical low pressure often recorded. Year 2002 also recorded
windstorms and landslides but the human loss and economic damage caused by thesedisasters was relatively small.
Mongolia is a land locked country in Asia between Russia and China and majordisasters are Zud, heavy snowfalls, sandstorms, floods, and so on. In the year 2002, Mongolia
recorded drought and windstorms and the latter caused heavy human suffering, as theaffected population was high.

３９Chapter 4

ADRC-Natural Disasters Data Book-2002

Myanmar is often hit by cyclones spawned in the Bay of Bengal, floods in the
monsoon season, and landslides triggered by rainfall. In the year 2002, Myanmar’s floods had
caused reasonably large amounts of human suffering.
Nepal is located in the Himalayan region where the Indian plate is wedging under
the Tibetan plate and depending upon the crustal formation earthquakes frequently occur.
Floods, slides, and extreme temperatures also often pose a threat to Nepal. It can be seenfrom the Table 5 that in the year 2002, Nepal suffered significantly under extreme
temperatures and slides, which caused heavy human loss and made many families totallyaffected which includes homeless, injured and affected.
Papua New Guinea is also highly vulnerable to many kinds of natural disasters likeearthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activities, floods, and windstorms. The majority of thenatural disasters that occurred in the year 2002 were geo-physical disasters and thesedisasters caused reasonably higher numbers of totally affected people.
The Philippines is located on the Pacific Rim of Fire, making it vulnerable to natural
disasters of both kind hydro meteorological and geo-physical type. As in the previous years,
the damage caused by hydro-meteorological disasters grew in 2002, with quite large
populations affected by floods and windstorms followed by population affected by earthquakes.
Economic damage by windstorms was also noticeable.
Russia has a vast area of land and the disaster affected population and the economic
losses are also quite large. Extreme temperatures, floods, slides and windstorms caused
considerable human loss and large affected populations in the year 2002. Also, these types ofdisasters caused great economic losses.
Sri Lanka is located in the Indian ocean just south of India and droughts in the dry

４０Chapter 4

ADRC-Natural Disasters Data Book-2002

seasons and windstorms and floods in the rainy seasons due to cyclones from the Bay of
Bengal are the prime concerns of Sri Lanka. In 2002, Sri Lanka was hit severely by drought
and floods, and the affected population by these disasters was quite high.
Tajikistan’s prime concerns are earthquakes and floods as mountains cover a
majority of the land in Tajikistan. As such earthquakes and floods are the major threats to thecountry. In 2002, earthquakes and floods occurred in Tajikistan causing human suffering.
Thailand is highly prone to natural disasters because of its location and terrain. The
northeastern area is prone to floods and droughts and the south has storms, floods and slides.
Thailand was severely hit by these disasters in the year 2002, and the percentage of
population affected by hydro meteorological disasters was quite high for the Asian region.
Vietnam is located in the southeast monsoon climate area and the majority of theannual rainfall is in the rainy season, which causes heavy human and economic loss every
year. Drought, floods and windstorms caused severe human suffering and loss in Vietnam in2002 as well.
It can be concluded according to the above tables that the majority of ADRC member
countries in the Asian region suffered from hydro-meteorological disasters, which inflictedheavy human and economic loss on society and hinder economic development. Further, theheavy effects of disasters on the population deprived people of socio-economic advancement
thus slowing national and regional development. The most severe disasters in the world in
2002 were in the Asian region (India, China, Bangladesh, and Thailand), affecting great
number of people in the region. Hence, it is imperative to design and implement properdisaster mitigation and preparedness plans to reduce human and economic loss and humansuffering, thus contributing positively to global sustainable development.

４１