Resulting damages have accumulated to over US$25 billion in the past five years alone. To promote engagement in disaster and climate risk management practices, a new report analyses the elements that are driving increases in disaster risk and provides disaster risk management profiles for the countries in the region.

Release of the 2011-12 Annual Review of Aid Effectiveness

The inaugural Annual Review of Aid Effectiveness was released today by Foreign Minister Bob Carr. This new and important document is part of a suite of reforms flowing from the 2011 Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness. Its purpose is to inform Cabinet discussion of the four-year budget strategy outlined in the Comprehensive Aid Policy Framework and report on the aid program’s performance against the Framework.

On 21 September 2009, Bhutan was hit by an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter Scale. The epicentre of the earthquake was in East Bhutan and affected 10 neighbouring districts. As well as damaging around 4,000 homes the earthquake damaged over 100 schools, affecting about 14,000 schoolchildren. The earthquake caused structural damage to classrooms, and water and sanitation facilities were destroyed.

Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 6 September, 2012: Health Ministers from WHO’s South-East Asia Region renewed their commitment to improving disaster risk management in the health sector. Member countries are increasing investments and building capacities for all phases of disasters: risk reduction, preparedness, response and recovery. The Health Ministers deliberated on this issue at WHO’s 65th Regional Committee Meeting from 5 to 7 September.

SUMMARY

Disasters cause human suffering, environmental and economic harm, and set back progress on eliminating poverty. If disaster risk isn’t well managed, the consequences are manifold. Disaster risk reduction is, therefore, an investment worth making by all countries. Every dollar spent reducing people’s vulnerability to disasters saves around seven dollars in economic losses. Investing in prevention not only increases the resilience of countries to future disaster, but protects economic growth and other development achievements from being lost in a single catastrophic event.

This report covers the period 1 January to 31 December 2011 Programme outcome

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Asia Pacific zone office continues to support its regional and country offices as well as the 37 national societies in the zone in building stronger and more resilient communities, improving and assisting in preparedness, knowledge-sharing and response to disasters as well as health and care challenges.

Summary

The APRC Annual Report 2011 showcases our impact over the year highlighting results in priority areas of work, including: MDG acceleration and social protection; gender equality; climate change and crisis resilience. Finding effective approaches to these complex issues required thinking outside of the thematic silos and combining the knowledge and expertise of all APRC practice teams.

Introduction