This year was once again marked by several high profile disasters that are still, months later, affecting thousands in Pakistan, the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere.

The death toll from the earthquake in Pakistan accounted for 83% of the total mortality for the year and 3% of total economic damages. By contrast, Hurricane Katrina accounted for 1.5% of total deaths and 78% of total economic damages.

That both events were catastrophic is beyond debate. What this reveals nonetheless, is that the impact indicators for natural disasters do not capture the full effects of lives lost, let alone the longer-term impacts on social and economic systems.