Cities prepare! Reducing vulnerabilities for the urban poor

ISBN/ISSN: 9780918261397
Number of pages: 87 p.

This publication considers disaster risk reduction from an urban perspective, with a focus on the cities of the Asia Pacific region. It focuses on the children of the Asia Pacific region who are living in or moving to large towns and cities, and asks the question: what more needs to be done to create low-risk urban environments? It concludes that risk reduction policies and priorities differ not just between nations but also between cities of a single nation, or neighbourhoods of a single city. It is a call to leaders to recognise and act on the dangers facing people living on the margins in urban centres across Asia.

It examines seven cities of the Asia Pacific region as case studies in disaster vulnerability: (i) Kathmandu, Nepal – ready for the next earthquake? (ii) Davao, the Philippines – ready for the next flash flood? (iii) Chittagong, Bangladesh – ready for the next landslide? (iv) Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – ready for greater urban safety? (v) Bangkok, Thailand – ready for the next flood? (vi) Kolkata, India – ready to mitigate environmental degradation? (vii) Jakarta, Indonesia – ready for the effects of climate change?