I am a very busy week leaving behind me. Including another trip to Manila... . I was just very blessed being back home in Davao City save and sound, because the PAGASA weather forecasts didn't allow me to relax: Rain, flood, storm - cancelled flights etc. etc.
While waiting at the airport in Manila, I read a MindaNews article, informing us, that the wealthy Arabian Gulf country Qatar is the safest in terms of disasters, according to the World Risk Report 2011 released this week.
Making the top three most disaster prone countries are the South Pacific island countries of Vanuatu and Tonga (one of my German friends are still residing there) - AND the Philippines.
As this developed, the Philippine Senate had passed early this week on third and final reading a proposed legislation that would establish a People's Survival Fund to support Philippine communities in developing climate change adoption and dsiaster risk reduction projects.
Countries with the lowest risk index Qatar, Malta and Saudi Arabia, which are in the bottom list, are not prone to typhoons, tsunamis and earthquakes.
Weak governance, according to this report, is an important risk factor that directly correlates to disaster impacts like number of deaths. "States with strong institutions have fewer deaths after extreme natural events than those with weak or inexistent institutions,"the report said.
Philippines - quo vadis?
