According to the United Nations report, the Asia Pacific region is the most disaster-prone part of the world. The region has suffered 1,625 disasters in the decade through 2014 and needs to spend more on adapting to climate change and preparing for more extreme weather. The region’s disasters – 40 percent of the global total – claimed half a million lives over the decade, affected 1.4 billion people and caused $523 billion in economic damage.

The world body urged the region’s governments to invest more in adapting to climate change and preparing for disasters as the risks the region faces are worsened by its rapid economic growth and mushrooming population. Some 772 million poor people in the region are particularly vulnerable to disasters and tend to live in low-value, hazard-prone areas such as urban slums, steep slopes, flood plains and riverbanks.

Most disaster prone countries in the world

Vanuatu: Vanuatu is the world’s most ‘at-risk’ country for natural hazards. The country stands at the top position with the disaster risk rate of 36.43 percent.

Philippines: Philippines ranks as the third most disaster-prone country in the world because of its high exposure to natural calamities.

Bangladesh: 5th in the list at the rate of 19.81 percent, the country lacks the adequate mangrove forests and coastal embankment.

Mauritius: Standing at the 13th position, the country has a disaster risk rate of 15.18 percent.

Japan: Earthquakes and tsunamis are a huge concern in Japan. About 80 percent of the country at any given time is at high risk, especially for a large quake. It has a disaster risk rate of 14.10 percent.

India stands at the 100th position of the least disaster prone countries in the world with a  disaster risk rate of 7.17 percent.

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