Partners for a more resilient world

In 2010, I saw for myself the speed and generosity of Chinese disaster response. I was in Haiti to ensure that substantial European humanitarian aid and in-kind assistance was being delivered after a devastating earthquake.

The Chinese emergency rescue team, made up of 60 members, was among the first to reach Haiti, despite the fact it came from furthest away and despite the absence of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

And the team did not come empty-handed. They immediately set up a medical assistance station and a Chinese plane brought 90 metric tons of materials, including tents, water, food, emergency lights, medicines, clothing and water purification equipment. The aid was the first batch of a 30 million yuan ($4.41 million) relief package, which was ready within 24 hours after the earthquake.

I also learned that seven Chinese policemen and a Chinese policewoman died while serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti. Memories of the quake that hit Wenchuan, Sichuan province, in 2008 were still fresh. "Because of Wenchuan, Haiti is not far away from us," was a commonly expressed sentiment. This is what solidarity is about: 14,000 kilometers is nothing when one can empathize and wants to help.

Solidarity is something we will need more and more. After Haiti I have traveled to many more places where earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, volcanoes and mudslides have overwhelmed local communities and even national capacities and where rapid international response saves lives and reduces suffering and damage.

Since 1975, the number of recorded disasters has increased dramatically; there are five times as many disasters now than there were in 1975. The vast majority of victims are in densely populated Asia, but no continent or country is out of reach. In Europe over the last 10 years we lost 100,000 lives, and it has cost our economies 150 billion euros ($185 billion).

Climate change has caused an increase in weather-related disasters, such as floods, droughts, heat waves, and severe storms. Meanwhile, population growth, urbanization, industrial development have all contributed to increases in the impact of disasters - when they hit, more people suffer and there is more damage.

Before 1988 there had never been a single disaster event for which the insurance industry had to pay out over $1 billion in claims. Since then, there have been over 20 such events. Last year holds the record in terms of assessed damage costs - nearly $400 billion, 50 percent higher that the previous record set only years ago, in 2005. And we know that the real costs are much higher since most losses are not insured and often not counted.

While economic development contributes to more resilience, it also leads to higher losses. In Haiti a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 230,000 people, but in Chile an 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami it caused took the lives of 521 people. The resulting economic losses were $30 billion, while in Haiti they were around $8 billion. This is why it is paramount to advance our understanding of the risks of disasters and, as our economies grow, invest in more resilient communities and societies.

This investment is critical for all of us, and especially important for China. Like the rest of Asia, China is disaster-prone, and this is combined with large population, rapid urbanization, phenomenal industrialization and economic growth. Over the last 30 years China grew by 300 million people, and moved 30 percent of its population from the countryside to the cities.

In Europe, we have had more time to understand what comes with urbanization, industrialization, and also climate change. But more wealth means more vulnerability, as the economic costs are greater when disasters strike. So we have developed policies to cope with the risks and negative impacts that accompany progress. This is why I am keen to see more interactions between Europe and China in the area of disaster preparedness, prevention and response.

Two new partnerships have already been established between the European Union and China: the China Europe Water Platform, which was formally launched at the Sixth World Water Forum in March, and the EU-China Partnership on Sustainable Urbanization that was launched in May. These initiatives demonstrate the EU's commitment to cooperating with others in the field of disaster risk management.

We have also taken the issue of resilience very seriously in the context of our development cooperation around the world. For countries at high risk of recurrent natural disasters, such as floods, droughts or hurricanes, we intend to emphasize policies and investments than can help reduce damage and improve the ability of local people to cope when a disaster strikes. I very much hope that cooperation with China can lead to more effective engagement in supporting vulnerable countries to better face the challenges of more devastating disasters.

Two and a half years after the earthquake it is clear that Haiti's fundamental issue is development rather than humanitarian assistance. Yet, if there had been better coordination, our respective efforts could have benefited more Haitians and in a better way. Let us therefore work together, the EU and China, and use our new platform to build a more resilient world on the basis of our respective experiences.

The author is European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.

(China Daily 07/07/2012 page5)