The Philippines has definitely seen its share of natural disasters, from earthquakes to record-breaking supertyphoons. And time and again, Filipinos showed resilience.
In the recently released World Risk Index report by the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security (UN-EHS), the Philippines ranked third out of 171 countries in terms of vulnerability and “exposure to natural hazards.”
The report reads, “The World Risk Index 2016 shows that the global hotspots for a high disaster risk lie in Oceania, Southeast Asia, Central America and the Southern Sahel.”
The report also shows the role of internal development and economic situation when it comes to overcoming disasters despite being exposed mother nature’s hazards.
According to the report, the five most vulnerable countries are Vanuatu, Tonga, the Philippines, Guatemala and Bangladesh, respectively.
Since the Philippines’ is right in the cusp of the Pacific Ocean and right along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the level of exposure to natural disasters is 52.46%, while the country’s vulnerability (internal measure of ability to cope, susceptibility, and adapting capacities) is only 50.90%.
We hope the government will take this report into account when they create programs and projects that will address our vulnerability. After all, change is coming, right?
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