Urban Disaster Risk Reduction Framework

Asia is among the most disaster prone regions in the world. The region is also home to half of the world’s urban population. It constitutes one of the world’s most rapidly urbanizing regions. Sixty six out of the 100 fastest-growing urban areas are in Asia (Children in an Urban World, The State of the World’s Children 2012, UNICEF).

As disasters have been increasing, cities have become hotspots of disaster risk. Most cities in the developing world, including cities in this region, are located in areas where earthquakes, oods, landslides and other disasters are likely to happen. Over the last 10 years, climate related disasters have also increased by more than 40%, magnifying the risks that cities are already confronted with; particularly those associated with poverty, lack of basic services, slum formation, unplanned and unstable buildings, houses and infrastructures located in hazard prone areas, pollution and environmental degradation.