BANGKOK, 30 December 2011 (IRIN) - Natural disasters in Asia in 2011 could well prove to be the costliest ever, experts say.

"Never before has this world suffered so much economic loss due to natural disaster, most of which has been in Asia and the Pacific," Sanjay Srivastava, UN regional adviser for disaster risk reduction, told IRIN in Bangkok.

Of the global US$270 billion of economic losses to natural disasters in 2011, 90 percent was in Asia, he said.

The current floods in Cambodia, which have affected more than 50,000 families and destroyed 20,000 hectares of crops, or even tropical storm 12-E in Nicaragua, which has caused floods, landslides, considerable destruction of housing, social and economic infrastructure and massive population displacements, are two recent examples of little known humanitarian emergencies. Such crises have not mobilized much, but ACTED still intends to deliver a response.

Since the 11th Meeting of States Parties (11MSP) to the Mine Ban Treaty in Phnom Penh, Cambodia ended, moments of sadness, joy and hope still linger on. As landmine survivors and policymakers shared the same stage, the full gamut of emotions punctuated the official and diplomatic protocols.

Ron Corben | Bangkok

Climate and disaster risk experts say the Asia Pacific region faces rising costs from storms and disasters often tied to climate change, creating new challenges for regions as they try to prepare and recover from such events. Warning comes as Thailand and the Philippines attempt to bounce back from recent disasters and the region gets ready to mark the seventh anniversary of the devastating 2004 Indonesian earthquake and tsunami.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – At the conclusion of the 4th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit today, leaders of the six nations that share the Mekong River agreed on a new 10-year plan to boost growth, development and poverty reduction across the GMS.

In a joint declaration issued at the conclusion of the Summit, GMS leaders endorsed a strategic framework for 2012 to 2022 that calls for a range of new measures to strengthen regional cooperation, including more effective resource utilization and more careful balancing of development with environmental concerns.

PHNOM PENH — Thailand and Cambodia said they agreed Wednesday to redeploy troops "completely and simultaneously" from a shared border area that has been the scene of deadly clashes.

The neighbours' defence ministers and army chiefs agreed to redeploy troops away from the disputed area near an ancient temple, where bloody spats have broken out twice this year, killing 28 people.

By Dizery Salim

GENEVA, 21 December 2011 – Members of parliament from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Senegal, Uganda and the East African Legislative Assembly came together in Geneva this week to agree on the establishment of a Global Advisory Group for parliamentarians with UNISDR’s Special Adviser on Parliamentarians, Feng Min Kan.

FAO Food Price Index down slightly in November

Global food prices were generally stable in November, as the FAO Food Price Index fell by just one point from October to 215 points.
The index has fallen 23 points since its peak for the year in February, translating to a 10 percent drop in food prices. The decline put food prices at just 1 percent above their level of one year ago in November 2010.

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