Asian businesses build resilience against disasters
Asian businesses build resilience against disasters
20 - 21 Apr 2016
Bangkok, Thailand
More than 200
business leaders, government representatives and disaster risk reduction
experts convened at the Asian Business Forum on Risk Reduction and
Resilience Building in Bangkok.
Economic losses from natural disasters in
Asia-Pacific have shown a dramatic upward trend in recent decades.
Between 2004 and 2013, disasters cost the Asia-Pacific region an average
of USD 73.8 billion annually compared to USD 1.8 billion per year in
the 1970s. The rise is in stark contrast with the decrease in human
casualties over the past decades – a development that has resulted from
sustained preparedness efforts across the region.
More than 200
business leaders, government representatives and disaster risk reduction
experts convene at the Asian Business Forum on Risk Reduction and
Resilience Building this week in Bangkok to identify solutions to
protect financial assets from the increasing disaster risks. While the
private sector is the primary generator of wealth in the region, it also
bears the brunt of disaster impacts – much of which could be avoided
with improved understanding of risks and strengthened preparedness
measures.
“Private companies and global supply chains are
increasingly affected by disasters such as earthquakes, flooding and
drought. With proper planning, companies can avoid business disruptions
and at the same time help preserve the region’s hard-earned development
gains,” said Aslam Perwaiz, Head of the iPrepare Business facility at
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center.
Countries around the world
have signed up for the global Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction that emphasizes the need for businesses to integrate disaster
risk management and business continuity into business models and
practices.
“Small and medium enterprises are particularly
vulnerable to disaster impacts. In Thailand, for example, they account
for nearly 40 percent of the country’s GDP. With the severe drought
affecting the region this year, private sector resilience is
particularly topical,” Mr. Perwaiz added.
Organized by Asian
Disaster Preparedness Center, the forum provides an opportunity for
stakeholders to share best practices in building resilience in the
private sector, paving the way for closer collaboration between private
enterprises, governments and development partners in managing disaster
risks.
The forum is supported by the Asian Development Bank,
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Global
Disaster Preparedness Center, and The Asia Foundation.