17 September 2014: A UN-backed report reveals that 22 million people worldwide were displaced in 2013 by disasters, mainly due to earthquakes or climate and weather-related events. The report further indicates that the risk of displacement due to disasters has more than doubled over the last four decades, largely because of the growth and concentration of urban populations.

The report, titled ‘Global Estimates 2014: people displaced by disasters,’ was launched at UN Headquarters in New York, US, and was undertaken by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). During the launch, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson highlighted the need for early warning systems and emergency evacuations in a world of increasing and intensifying disasters, calling for a focus on prevention and preparedness and “strong and decisive action to tackle the catastrophic threat of climate change.”

As in previous years, the worst affected region is Asia, where 19 million people, or 87.1% of the global total, were displaced during 2013. The report explains that, although both developed and developing countries are affected, poorer countries “bear the brunt,” accounting for more than 85% of displacement. Typhoon Haiyan alone displaced 4.1 million people in the Philippines, a million more than in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania combined. Typhoons, floods and earthquakes in China and the Philippines accounted for 12 of the 20 largest displacements.

In Africa, seasonal floods also caused significant displacement, most notably in Niger, Chad, Sudan and South Sudan, countries that are also affected by conflict and drought. Exposure to hazards that trigger displacement is expected to increase faster in Africa than in other regions, and given that population is expected to double by 2050, displacement risk will also likely increase more quickly.

In developed countries, Typhoon Man-yi in Japan displaced 260,000 people, tornadoes in Oklahoma, US, displaced 218,500, and floods in Alberta, Canada, displaced 120,000. More than 600 events were recorded during 2013, of which 37 involved mass movements of 100,000 to four million plus people.

In order to meet this challenge, the report calls for: increased investment in disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures, such as better urban planning, maintenance of flood defenses and infrastructure that can withstand smaller-scale hazards; community-based livelihood strategies to enable people to adapt to and prepare for shocks and prevent repeated cycles of displacement; and policymakers to ensure that national DRR and adaptation plans and measures incorporate the risk and impact of displacement.

The report also looks at those countries experiencing displacement caused by both conflict and natural hazards, which creates military and environmental obstacles to population movements, isolates communities and limits people’s options in terms of migration and destinations.

The report calls on governments to increase their efforts to reduce exposure and vulnerability through: better land-use plans and building regulations; addressing income inequality; and improving conditions for those living in informal settlements. [UN Press Release] [Global Estimates at a Glance] [Publication: Global Estimates 2014: People Displaced by Disasters]