Qatar and Saudi Arabia among countries with least risk of natural disasters

Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been ranked among the top five countries with the lowest risk of being hit by a disaster, researchers said.

Qatar, ranked 171st in the world, had the lowest disaster risk globally with a risk percentage (index) of 0.08, while Saudi Arabia claimed the 169th place with an index of 1.14 in the World Risk Index 2016.

The United Nations University, the University of Stuttgart and Bundnis Entwicklung Hilft, an alliance of German aid agencies, produced the report.

The report ranked 171 countries according to how exposed and vulnerable they are to natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods and storms. Poor economic and social factors leave countries less able to keep their populations safe, they said.

Other countries in the last five places included Malta (170, 0.60), Barbados (168, 1.32) and Grenada (167, 1.42).

Within the GCC, Bahrain was placed at the 165th position with a risk percentage of 1.69, followed by the UAE (163, 1.97).

Egypt was given a risk percentage of 2.29 with a rank of 158.

Globally, Pacific islands, Southeast Asian nations and Central American states dominate the countries at highest risk of being hit by a disaster, researchers said.

The Solomon Islands (ranked 6), Papua New Guinea (ranked 10) and Guinea-Bissau (ranked 15) are also strongly exposed to hazards.

Factors that make people more vulnerable to disasters include poverty, slum housing, limited access to medical services and clean water, corruption and weak law enforcement.

Vanuatu is the country with the highest disaster risk, followed by Tonga, Philippines, Guatemala and Bangladesh.

Courtesy: tradearabia.com