## 3 Results
### Geographical Distribution of Natural and Man-made (Technological) Disasters
The common thread is that water plays a crucial role in causing these events): these disasters were predominantly seen in Asia (2.72%), followed by Africa (2.17%) and North America (0.38%). Oceania experienced the least (0.05%);
5. Mass movement (wet): Asia experienced the most mass movement (wet) events (1.70%), followed by South America (0.60%) and Africa (0.26%). Oceania had the fewest (0.07%);
6. Drought: Africa reported the highest number of droughts (1.40%), while Asia had 0.69% and North America had 0.39% events. Oceania recorded the least, with 34 events (0.13%);
7. Extreme temperature: Europe led in extreme temperature events (1.15%), followed by Asia (0.77%) and North America (0.27%). On the other hand, Oceania had the fewest events (0.03%);
8. Storms: North America experienced the most storms (5.18%), followed by Asia (7.35%) and Europe (2.23%). South America reported the least, with 0.41 events;
9. Epidemics: epidemics were most common were in Africa (3.48%), followed by Asia (1.40%) and North America (0.39%). Oceania recorded the fewest, with 0.09% of events;
10. Wildfires: North America led in wildfire events (0.56%), followed by Europe (0.48%) and South America (0.19%). Asia had the fewest wildfires, with only 69 events (0.27%). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Disaster Type**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**North**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Asia**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Africa**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Europe**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**South**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Oceania**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Total**} \\  & & & & & & & & & & & & & \\  & **(n)** & **(\%)** & **(n)** & **(\%)** & **(n)** & **(\%)** & **(n)** & **(\%)** & **(n)** & **(\%)** & **(n)** & **(\%)** \\ \hline Earthquake & 167 & 0.65 & 951 & 3.68 & 75 & 0.29 & 163 & 0.63 & 154 & 0.60 &  
Man-made (technological) disasters, resulting from human activities, also show distinct patterns across continents (Table 2 and Figure 3):  
1. Air disasters: Asia reported the highest number of air disaster events (1.21%), followed by Europe (0.90%) and North America (0.72%). Oceania had the fewest, with 0.08% of events;
2. Chemical spills: North America recorded the most chemical spill events (0.18%), while Asia reported 0.08% of events. Oceania had the least, with one incident (0.00%);
3. Industrial and miscellaneous collapses: Asia led in industrial collapses (0.34%) and miscellaneous collapses (0.60%). Africa followed by industrial collapses (0.27%) and miscellaneous collapses (0.24%);
4. Explosions: industrial explosions were most frequent in Asia with 509 events (1.97%), while miscellaneous explosions were also highest in Asia with 118 events (0.46%). Oceania had the fewest events in both categories, with four industrial explosions and zero miscellaneous explosions;
5. Fires (industrial and miscellaneous): North America recorded the most industrial fire events (0.09%) and miscellaneous fire events (0.43%). Oceania had the fewest events in both categories, with zero industrial fires and seven miscellaneous fires;
6. Gas leaks and oil spills: gas leaks were most common in Asia (0.15%), while oil spills were rare globally, with North America and Asia each reporting only a few events (three and two, respectively);
7. Poisoning and radiation events: Poisoning events were highest in Asia (0.19%), and radiation events were minimal worldwide, with North America and Asia each reporting only a few events (one and four, respectively);
8. Rail and road disasters: road disasters were highly prevalent in Asia (4.15%) and in Africa (4.37%). Rail disasters were more common in Asia (1.11%) and in Europe (0.47%). These detailed distributions reveal specific regional vulnerabilities and can inform targeted disaster risk reduction strategies. For instance, Asia's high frequency of both natural and man-made (technological) disasters highlights the need for comprehensive disaster management plans.