Evidence-based disaster risk assessment in Southeast Asian countries

Abstract

This paper aims to provide an overview of the risks and trends of natural disasters in Southeast Asian countries and discuss necessary future countermeasures. Quantitative analysis of natural disasters was performed using data collected from EM-DAT. The disaster risk assessment for countries and disaster types was conducted using a frequency-impact risk matrix and risk ranking identification, which is a novel approach based on actual disaster data. The findings suggest that Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand face the highest mortality, affected population, and economic damage risks, respectively. Moreover, the study reveals that Southeast Asian countries are vulnerable to climate-related disasters. This risk assessment gives us a comprehensive understanding of natural disaster risks in Southeast Asian countries, enabling us to identify the most vulnerable countries in the region and determine the most significant disaster-type countermeasures for each country.