Higher Losses and Slower Development in the Absence of Disaster Risk Management Investments

Hallegatte, Stephane ; Bangalore, Mook ; Jouanjean, Marie-Agnes

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: FLOODING;    RISKS;    CATASTROPHIC LOSSES;    ECONOMIC GROWTH;    STORM;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7632
RP-ID  :  WPS7632

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Global economic losses from naturaldisasters continue to increase. Yet, investments in disasterrisk management are not universal, as they are traditionallyseen as in competition with other development and economicpriorities. The multitude of benefits from disaster riskmanagement investments are not traditionally accounted forin cost-benefit analyses. This paper contributes to thisdiscussion by highlighting the multiple benefits fromdisaster risk management investments, focusing on theavoided losses when a disaster occurs, but also on theimpacts on economic development even before a disasterstrikes. The paper's main message is that disaster riskmanagement investments can provide two dividends: reducedlosses when a disaster strikes, and a shift of investmentstrategies and perhaps even an increase in investment valuethat would benefit the economy even before a disasterstrikes. Providing evidence to policy makers and investorsabout the existence of both types of dividends can provide anarrative reconciling short-term and long-term objectives,thereby improving the acceptability and feasibility ofdisaster risk management investments.