Concerns over the global economy should not derail governments from solving a longer-term crisis in the form of climate change and the disasters it brings with it, says the United Nations' first "champion" for disaster risk reduction in the Asia Pacific.

Climate change has already wreaked havoc in the Asia Pacific, and without urgent attention could worsen the plight of many people in the region, Loren Legarda, an environmentalist and regional advocate for the United Nation's International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) told AlertNet.

"Climate change is something that does exist and will continue to exist despite the global financial crisis, and perhaps it will make people even more vulnerable," said Legarda, a senator who is also one of the frontrunners in next year's presidential race in the Philippines.

"Disasters have been happening in many countries around (the) Asia Pacific, whether it's storms, mudslides, landslides, tsunami...you don't have to look very far," she said. "So the importance of preparedness cannot be ignored."

The Asia Pacific region has seen more than its share of natural disasters and extreme weather patterns in recent years. A World Vision report said that 75% of all people killed by natural disasters in 2007 were in Asia. The number of disasters reported has also risen sharply since the mid-1990s -- from 428 between 1994 and 1998 to 707 between 1999 and 2003, according to the World Bank.

In the Philippines, women and children suffered the most, Legarda said.

"During floods, during storms, it is the women who try to protect the children from rampaging flash floods, and when we have rehabilitation and rescue efforts, it is the women who bear the brunt of having to find portable water to cook, to drink," she said.

It made more sense to address the issue of unemployment -- amplified by the current world economic crisis -- alongside efforts to curb the disasters wreaked by climate changes and while focusing on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) rather than as separate issues.

"We cannot solve one problem without addressing the other," she said.

DRR essentially means putting in place policies and practices that minimise the vulnerability of a place and limit the impact of disasters. For example, DRR for coastal communities could include planting mangroves which will act as a buffer from storms, setting up warning systems for floods, and educating the community about the risks they face.

The UNISDR appointed Legarda last December as its Asia Pacific champion for DRR. Her role will see her talk to heads of government agencies, ministers of the environment and possibly regional heads of state in order to obtain a "firmer political and financial commitment towards DRR and climate change adaptation," she said.

One of her next steps was to convene a science summit in Manila, aiming to improve research on DRR, particularly in terms of maps, vulnerability studies and early warning systems. The goal was to improve regional cooperation so that countries with greater technological capacity such as Australia and South Korea could assist developing nations such as Indonesia and the Philippines.

Legarda said it is understandable many governments in the region were more preoccupied with rescue efforts than prevention programmes -- partly because of limited resources but also due to habits.

"The focus should be on DRR instead of simply moving people out and trying to reconstruct and rebuild their lives (afterwards)," she said. "In the end, when you reduce the disaster risk, you're actually helping people more and saving a lot in the national budget."

"The first thing we need to do is to accept that disasters are here," Legarda said. "And second, accept the fact that climate change could bring about disasters or exacerbate them in Asia. So we must change the mindset."

According to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), China's spending of $3.1 billion on anti-flooding measures between 1960 and 2000 averted economic losses of around $12 billion, Legarda said. The U.N. has also said every $1 invested in reducing the risk of disasters in developing countries save around $7 in losses.

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