Reply on RC2

Abstract

Information on agriculture-related damage and losses in Asia is under-reported in major multi-peril disaster databases. National disaster databases in some countries may have information on agricultural losses, but this information is not always available. We address this knowledge gap by creating a database of cyclone-induced rice damage from 1970–2018 for four major rice producing countries in Asia which experience frequent and intense tropical cyclones as a result of their geographical location (Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Myanmar). We collated information using online news sources on rice damage locations, rice area damaged, loss in rice production, and loss in rice value from 1970–2018. Of the 1,046 cyclone events recorded, 138 events were associated with rice damage and loss, and majority of these events (93 %) happened in the Philippines and Vietnam. The average area of rice damaged per cyclone event ranged from 42,407 ha in Vietnam to 423,075 ha in Myanmar. The average rice production loss per cyclone event ranged from 460,667 metric tonnes in Bangladesh to 2,943,088 metric tonnes in the Philippines. Losses in rice production value from 1970–2018 were only reported in the Philippines and amounted to an average of US$42 million per cyclone event. Although Category 4 events tend to cause the most damage, tropical storms and Category 1 events were more frequent, especially in Vietnam. While our study is limited by the availability and quality of online news sources, we provide an assessment of rice agricultural damage from tropical cyclones in major rice producing countries in Asia.