People in Asia are four times more likely to be affected by natural disasters than in Africa, and 25 times more likely than in Europe or North America. Unfettered development, urbanisation and climate change are among the main causes. As the rural-to-urban exodus continues, experts warn that conservation and prevention policies are needed.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Asia's cities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters as they struggle with poor planning, population explosions and climate change, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) warned on Tuesday. Policies that invest two thirds of government funding to patch things after natural disasters are one example of poor management. Only a third is spent on making inhabited areas more disaster-proof.

Floods, earthquakes and other events (pictured, Bangkok's 2011 flood) claim the tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in damages in Asian cities and urban areas, but not enough is being done to improve their defences.

The region's "people are four times more likely to be affected by natural disasters than in Africa, and 25 times more likely than in Europe or North America," ADB said in its report.

Floods are the most common peril and have become three times more frequent across the Asia-Pacific in the past 30 years, it added.

The impact of storms on cities and urban areas has worsened due to chaotic urban planning and environmental degradation, as well as poorly-managed urbanisation and deforestation.

Meanwhile, millions of people are leaving safer rural areas for low-lying coastal cities, often driven by economic poverty.

Deaths from natural disasters across the region increased to more than 651,000 between 2000 and 2009, compared with fewer than 100,000 in the 1980s, it said.

"Policymakers need to recognise that investments in disaster risk management are an essential means to sustain growth," bank experts concluded.

• asia
• natural
• disasters
• environment
• adb
• development
• economy