NATURAL DISASTERS CAUSE 10 BILLION DRAMS WORTH DAMAGES TO ARMENIA EVERY YEAR
ARKA
December 14, 2009
Yerevan
YEREVAN, December 14, /ARKA/. Natural disasters cause about 10 billion
Drams worth damages to Armenia every year, Naira Melkumian, a senior
expert of the World Bank Yerevan Office, said today during a forum
on emergency management and disaster risk reduction in Armenia.
According to her, Armenia tops the list of countries in terms of
disaster-caused casualties coming also second or third in terms of
financial losses.
‘It appears that Armenia is one of the most dangerous countries in
the world in terms of disaster caused casualties and this is why
preventive measures, as well as financial planning to face these
challenges are so important,’ she said.
She said that a 2004 UN report placed Armenia atop the list of
countries with the highest degree of earthquake vulnerability. Since
40% of Armenia’s population is concentrated in its capital city
Yerevan, a 7 degree earthquake may become disastrous, ‘ she said,
adding that 33% of towns and villages in the country are not immune
from landslides and about 25% of its territory (233 communities)
is jeopardized by floods.
She said a great deal has been done in Armenia after the 1988
destructive Spitak earthquake-particularly, the emergency ministry was
founded, seismic threats were reassessed, the relating legislation
was revised, however there is still a lot to be done, particularly,
to improve rapid reaction forces, to develop a national program for
risk reduction and so on which will allow to outline the priority
steps and directions of activity.
The forum on emergency management and disaster risk reduction in
Armenia started today in Yerevan. It is organized by World Bank along
with the support of the government and financial assistance of the
Global Fund for Disaster Risk Reduction (GFDRR). The participants will
discuss World Bank report on reduction of disaster risks and emergency
management in Armenia, the government programs and priorities as well
as seismic challenges.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
