Dealing with disasters: New global strategy must empower local and regional authorities

Representing the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Harvey Siggs welcomed the new Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction noting that "Disasters know no borders. We need to think local and act global. We also need to now think about what this new framework means for us in Europe,” reports InsuranceNewsNet.com.

According to the article, between 2002 and 2012 disasters were responsible for more than 80,000 deaths and cost around €95bn in the EU alone. The CoR has argued that preventative expenditure is needed rather than reactive expenditure citing that changing existing structures to make them safe typically cost 10% to 50% more, and even more if the energy grid, transport or water networks needed to be relocated.