World Risk Report 2016: inadequate infrastructure pushes up the risk of disaster
Inadequate infrastructure and weak logistic chains substantially increase the risk that an extreme natural event will become a disaster. This is a core finding of the World Risk Report 2016, which the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft - Gemeinsam für Menschen in Not e.V., in cooperation with the University of Stuttgart, presented in Berlin. When it comes to aid measures following extreme natural events, the challenges mostly lie in the 'last mile' of the logistics chain: organising transportation despite destroyed streets or bridges and ensuring fair distribution when there is a shortage of (for example) water, food, and shelter, explains Peter Mucke, Project Manager of the World Risk Report and Managing Director of Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft. Crumbling transport routes, unreliable electricity grids, and dilapidated buildings not only hinder humanitarian aid from overseas, but also delay crucial aid for those affected in the event of a disaster.