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BANGKOK: Southeast Asia is one of the regions most prone to natural disasters, but people in the region also believe they are most capable of dealing with them, a new analysis released on Thursday (Aug 15) shows.
It might seem logical that countries along the Pacific Ring of Fire and its surrounding regions are prone to earthquakes, typhoons, storm surges and other disasters, so they would be best prepared to deal with them, but Gallup polling for the Lloyd’s Register Foundation shows that’s not always the case in other regions.
“Frequent exposure to danger is not the only factor that determines people’s preparedness,” Gallup research consultant Benedict Viggs told the Associated Press.
The report found that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations played a key role in disaster risk reduction, and Wiggers said the region’s broader approach included widespread and effective early warning systems, expanded community approaches and regional cooperation, and good access to disaster financing.
“Southeast Asia’s success in disaster preparedness is linked to its higher rates of disaster exposure, relatively high levels of resilience (from individuals to society at large), and the region’s approach and investments in disaster risk management,” he said.
40% of respondents in Southeast Asia said they had experienced a natural disaster in the past five years, and a similar proportion in South Asia (36%) said so. However, 67% of Southeast Asians felt they were most prepared to protect their families, and 62% had an emergency plan, while South Asians felt they were least prepared, at 49% and 29%, respectively.
Respondents in North America, who said they only felt slightly less prepared for disasters, reported significantly lower levels of preparedness than those in Southeast Asia, while those in Northern and Western Europe were in the middle.
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