Sendai meeting key to fighting disasters

Global leaders meeting in Sendai, Japan, from March 14 to 18 have possibly the greatest opportunity to build the infrastructure and other defenses the world needs to withstand the worst ravages of typhoons, earthquakes, droughts and other disasters.

Between 2005 and 2014, disasters have claimed some 403,000 lives in Asia alone, while the losses have totaled $436 billion, or $120 million per day. Climate change means disasters will become more frequent and more intense without action now to better prepare ourselves.

Such disasters, which wipe out homes, farmlands and jobs, hit the poorest of the region particularly hard since they often live in flood-prone coastal areas or river plains. With little or no financial cushion to fall back on, it can take some families a decade or more to recover.