Improving the assessment of disaster risks to strengthen financial resilience: a special joint G20 publication by the Government of Mexico and the World Bank

This publication by the Government of Mexico and the World Bank brings together the experiences of G20 countries in protecting their populations and assets against natural hazards. It includes contributions by G20 members and invited countries, as well as the OECD. The paper introduces the country experiences and sets out the challenges and opportunities to address rising disaster losses with more accurate risk data and better informed decision-making. The report finds that while lower income countries bear the brunt of the human impact from disasters, middle income countries experience the largest economic impact relative to GDP. For example, the Government of Chile estimates the cost of the 2010 earthquake and tsunami at 30 billion US dollars, around 18 percent of the country’s GDP. The paper notes that every country and situation is different, but much can be learnt from other countries' experience.