Canadian 'natural' disasters triple in two decades: new ICLR report

A new report issued by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) says that 'natural' disasters and resultant damages have tripled over the last two decades.

'In the past, most disaster-related efforts in Canada have focused primarily on preparedness, response and recovery. These will remain important activities but there's an urgent need to shift the emphasis to mitigate risks and hazards, with a more pro-active approach,' says a new report by Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR).

Six mitigation techniques listed in the report include the use of insurance to create incentives for policyholders to prepare for risk (or disincentives to prevent people from building in high-risk areas).

Other mitigation techniques include land use planning, building codes and standards, prediction and warning systems, new technologies (such as geographic information systems [GIS] or remote sensing) and public education.