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Natural disasters around theglobe have resulted in economic losses of roughly $7 trillion since 1900,according to a new calculation from scientists. Their database, which containssome 35,000 events, reveals the catastrophes have also resulted in more thaneight million deaths. The analysis should assist governments with crisisplanning and response, the researchers say. Their results were presented at theEuropean Geosciences Union meeting. $7tn is equivalent to about £5tn or €6tn.

The team, led from the KarlsruheInstitute of Technology in Germany, scoured the media and old records for all the information it could find on floods, droughts, storms, volcanoes,earthquakes, and wildfires. Reports in more than 90 different languages were assessed for the group's Integrated Historical Global Catastrophe Database.Over the 1900-2015 period, roughly 40% of economic losses are ascribed to flooding. Earthquakes accounted for about a quarter; storms for about a fifth;12% was due to drought; 2% to wildfire, and under 1% to volcanic eruptions. But although the economic losses in absolute terms have increased during the past century, these losses actually now represent a smaller fraction of the total value globally of buildings and other infrastructure. It means, say the scientists, that in many instances, we are now doing better at mitigating the consequences of natural disasters.

Landslides

June 11, 2016, Colombia: In west Colombia a landslide has claimed lives of five people and left 30 others missing on Thursday, June 9, 2016. The landslide took place around 3:30PM on the road between Medellin and Quibdo, the capital of the Pacific Choco province, Colombia Reports mentioned. The regional disaster manager confirmed with newspaper ElTiempo that as many as 30 people went missing at the time workers were removing rubble from a previous landslide.

June 22, 2016, Japan: Land slide sand floods in southern Japan have claimed lives of three people and left three others missing. A 92-year-old man died after a landslide hit his house in Kamiamakusa city, Yahoo News reported quoting a local disaster management official. Another 79-year-old man drowned in a flooded ditch in the town of Kosa. Third person died in a land slide in Uto city. Nearly 2,000 residents have also been evacuated from their homesin the southern prefecture of Kumamoto,the area recently battered by two major earthquakes. The weather agency has issued more heavy rain and thunderstorm warnings for Kumamoto and surrounding areas on Kyushu island.

July 05, 2016, Nepal: Landslides in Pyuthan district of Nepal have claimed lives of eight people including five members of a family. A landslide triggered by incessant rainfall buried a housein Neta of Rajbara-3 claiming lives of five people. Another landslide buriedhouse in Banglibang of Puja VDC-3, killing three members of a single family, The Himalayan Times reported. Earlier today, a landslide in Kerauja VDC-3 of Gorkha district killed three people and injured three others.

July 29, 2016, Nepal: Atleast 74 people have died in landslides and floods in different parts of Nepal since Monday.The Ministry of Home Affairs has confirmed the fatalities with highest death toll from Pyuthan district.  Landslide and floods in Pyuthan district claimed lives of 39 people followed by Gulmi with death toll at 7. Causalities are reported from 12 other districts including Baglung (6), Palpa (4), Rolpa(4), Makawanpur (3), Arghakhanchi (2), Jhapa (2), Rupandehi (2) and one eachfrom Dolakha, Sarlahi, Parbat, Udayapur and Kathmandu. According to The Himalayan Times, five persons have gone missing in Pyuthan, two each in Arghakhanchi and Gulmi, and one each in Sunsari, Saptari, Jhapa, Dang, Kaskiand Kapilvastu. The government has decided to release Rs 750 million to immediately address the humanitarian crisis for disaster management in the wake of recent floods and landslides. The Central Disaster Relief Committee in a meeting at the National Emergency Operations Centre decided to immediately release the amount to the affected districts for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation works. The amount would be released from the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund to the Central Disaster Relief Committee and would be mobilized in the related areas on a priority basis. The security  bodies have also been instructed to implement the disaster preparedness action plan.

July 05, 2016, Nepal: A landslide in Kerauja VDC-3 of Gorkha district of Nepalhas claimed lives of three people and injured three others. The injured peopleare having treatment at a local health post in Gorkha. The landslide disasteroccurred during a reconstruction of road damaged by 2015 Gorkha earthquake, The Himalayan Times reported. Heavyrainfall has caused rapid increment in water level in Jhimruk River withpossible threat of its outburst.

August 06, 2016, India: A landslidenear Ardhkuwari Temple, the mid of MataVaishno Devi Yatra in Katra District of Jammu and Kashmir region killed fourpeople and injured seven others. According to ABP Live, two out ofthe seven injured persons have been brought to Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana SuperSpecialty Hospital. Three of the deceased were identified as pilgrims, whilethe fourth was said to be a ponny walla (horse puller), Xinhua News Agency reported.

Floodsand heavy rain

May 26, 2016, Nepal: Flood triggered by torrential rainfall has claimed lives oftwo boys and injured seven others in Kawadi village of Bajura district.According to Nepal Police, flood washed away two boys aged 10-years-oldNikhil Budha Thapa and 6-years-old Dirgha Budha Thapa. Seven injured people are having treatment at local medical center. Flood water also washed away seven cows and 30 goats. 

June 09, 2016, Nepal: A flood triggered by heavy downpour at Banepa in Kavredistrict of Nepal has claimed lives of two people and left one other missing. Accordingto Nepal Police, Mohan Bahadur Thapa, aged 58, of Nayabasti, Banepa-4 waswashed away by flood water. He was washed away after entering the Punyabhumiriver in UgraChandi -6 in search cooking gas cylinders. Theflood also swept away cooking gas cylinders from Sagarmatha GasUdhyog, Surya Gas Udhyog and Chandeshwori Gas Udhyog. Ashish Kafle, 9, ofPaanchkhaal-9 also died in the flooding disaster in Banepa district. Oneperson, Jit Bahadur Sarki, 58, of Tukucha-8 is still reported to be missing.

June 15, 2016, Spain: Flashflood on the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife has claimed lives of fivepeople. The Red Cross has deployed 120 volunteers,10 ambulances and off-board boats to help in the rescueoperation. Hundreds of people have been forced to leave their homes by stormflooding, which cut off all access to the port, as well as power andtelephone lines, Daily Mail has written quoting Miguel Zerolo,the mayor of the island's capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

June 19, 2016, Indonesia: Floodingand landslides in Indonesia's Central Java have claimed lives of 35 people andleft 25 others missing. Five machinery equipment and a drone were deployed tohelp the search and rescue operation, Xinhua News Agency reportedquoting a spokesman for the national disaster management agency.

June 22, 2016, Africa: Torrentialrainfall has claimed lives of at least three people in the desert innorthern Niger. Fatalities are from Bazagor locality. Heavy rainfall alsokilled more than 8,000 goats, sheep and cows, Africa News reported.

June 28, 2016, Pakistan:Rain related incidents inQuetta, Pakistan has claimed lives of at least four people including twochildren and injured more than 20 others on Monday. The flash flood collapsedthe boundary walls of Sandeman Civil Hospital. According tothe SAMAA TV, dozens of mud houses have been collapsed and damagedin slums and downstream areas of the city. The Met Office has forecast morerain in parts of Balochistan during next 24 hours.

July 04, 2016, Pakistan: Flashflood in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan has claimed lives of atleast 43 people including eight security personnel on Sunday. More than 40people have been injured and scores of others have been missing, XinhuaNewsAgency reported quoting the local media and officials. Accordingto the provincial National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA),around 35 houses have been fully damaged and 47 others bear partial house. Anarmy helicopter made five trips from Chitral to Ursoon to evacuate the injuredpeople. Flash flood is a common natural disaster in KhyberPakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. In April this year, at least 63 people diedin flashflood in KPK province.

July 07, 2016, Nepal:Flooding in Bhotekoshi River has sweptaway at least 21 houses of Tatopani area in Sindhupalchowk district alongNepal-China border on Tuesday night. It is believed to be the biggest flood inthe Bhotekoshi River in 35 years. However, no human casualties have beenrecorded as of Wednesday evening. The floodwater swallowed 15 houses at LipingBus Park area of Tatopani. The swollen river flood swept away abridge and two tippers parked near the Liping-basedCustoms Office, The Himalayan Times reportedquoting Gokarnamani Duwadi, the Chief District Officer (CDO) ofSindhupalchok. According to My Republica, Bhotekoshi River floodhas swept away embankments of local hydropower project, a suspension bridge,Tatopani-based Mansarobar Boarding School, four sugar mills, otherphysical infrastructure and vehicles.

July 07, 2016, China: Flood relief and rescue effortshave been stepped up in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which has been hit by severeflooding. Transport links and water and power supplies in the city of 10million are severely affected. Flooding across central and southern China haskilled 186 people and 45 are missing. The Chinese premier has called upon localauthorities across the country to be prepared for further downpours. 32 millionpeople in 26 provinces across China have been affected by severe flooding. 1.4million people have been relocated. 56,000 houses have collapsed.

July 24, 2016, China: Torrentialrain and floods have claimed lives of at least 130 people and left 110 othersmissing in Hebei Province of China by Saturday. According to the XinhuaNews Agency, more than 9.04 million people have been affected by thefloods.  The water supply in the urban areas of Shijiazhuang, capital ofnorth China's Hebei Province, has also been disrupted after flood water wasfound to have contaminated the city's drinking water.

July 31, 2016, India: Atleast 59 people have been killed in rain-related incidents such as floodingand lightning in different Indian States.Flooding in Assam killed 27 people. Around 400 relief camps and 102 highlandshelters have been made in Assam, The Times of India reported.Three people died and two went missing as flood waters submerged the West GaroHills district in Meghalaya. Two minor girls were swept away by the waters ofBurhidangi river in Kishanganj district in Bihar. Lightning strikes in Odishakilled 27 people including eight deaths in Bhadrak, seven in Balasore, five inKhurda, three in Mayurbhanj and one each in Kendrapara, Jajpur, Keonjhar andNayagarh.

July 31, 2016, Bangladesh: Morethan a week of flooding has claimed at least 14 lives in northern districts ofBangladesh. Fatalities are from three northern Bangladesh districts - Jamalpur,Kurigram and Gaibandha, Xinhua News Agency reported quoting anofficial of the control room under the Ministry of DisasterManagement and Relief incapital Dhaka. Floods caused widespread damage to habitation,crops, roads and highways forcing thousands of people to live in schools,community halls and other relief centers.

August 06, 2016, Sudan: Floodingat an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Darfur State of Sudan hasclaimed lives of four people. "About 183 houses in the camp havedestroyed," Sudan Tribune reported quoting Adam Abdalla,deputy chairman of the IDPs. The Sudanese National Councilfor Civil Defence had forecast heavy rainfall during the coming daysthroughout Sudan.

August 06, 2016, Vietnam: Recentflooding in northern Lào Cai Province of Vietnam has claimed lives of fourpeople and left seven others missing. Three people died in the mountainous BátXát District and one other in Sa Pa District. According to The VietnamNews, Typhoon Nida brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to northern Vietnamcasing severe situation in the region. Lào Cai Steering Committee for Disaster Preventionand Rescue (SCDPR) said that more than 100 households in Cốc San commune werepartially flooded. The SCDPR has estimated flood damages more than VNĐ200billion (US$8.9 million).

Stormsand cyclones

June 07, 2016, USA(Florida): Governor Rick Scott has declared a state ofemergency for more than half the counties in Florida Monday as Tropical StormColin headed toward the Big Bend area of the state. The state's EmergencyOperations Center was elevated to activation status level 2, “Thelevel two activation at the State Emergency Operations Center will helpstate and local emergency management officials work together to ensure ourstate is ready to respond to any impacts of this weather event.” Some 6,000Florida National Guard members are on standby.

June 15, 2016, USA(Virginia): TheU.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans are available topeople with storm damage of February this year. The U.S.Small Business Administration loans are available to homeowners,renters, business owners and nonprofits in and around Appomattox and Essexcounties. Homeowners can apply for loans up to $200,000 to repair and restoretheir homes. Businesses are eligible for $2 million in loans torepair or replace damaged property or to use as capital, InsuranceJournal reported.

June 23, 2016, India: Lightningstrikes have claimed lives of at least 120 people in four Indian states.Fatalities are from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.Lightning disaster killed 57 people in Bihar, 41 in Uttar Pradesh, 12 inMadhya Pradesh and 10 in Jharkhand. According to the National Crime RecordsBureau, at least 2,000 people die in lightningstrikes in India every year.

June 27, 2016, China: Aviolent tornado in Jiangsu province of China has claimed lives of at least 99people and injured 846 others. The China Meteorological Administration rankedthe tornado as an EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with maximum sustained windsgreater than 266 km/h which hit along the outskirts of Yancheng around 2:30p.m. local time on June 23, 2016. EF-4 is the second strongest rating fortornadoes. At least 1,591 homeless victims are staying in temporary shelters intwo counties, Xinhua NewsAgency mentioned quoting the citygovernment. Xinhua described it as one of the worst disasters ever to hit Jiangsu, including the worst tornado to hitChina in half a century.

Earthquakes

May 2, 2016, Nepal: A light tremor has been felt in Kathmandu Valley. Nepal's National SeismologicalCenter (NSC) has recorded magnitude 4.6 tremor at 3:24 pm Saturday afternoon.The quake's epicenter was located in Sindhupalchok district. This is 461th aftershock of magnitude 4 and greater recorded since 2015 Gorkha earthquake.Four days ago, a tremor was even felt in Kathmanduvalley.The quake's epicenter were located near Naubise SW of Chhatre Deurali, Dhadingdistrict. No preliminary damage or injuries have been reported.

June 21, 2016, Nepal:  Magnitude 4.4aftershock has been recorded in Nuwakot district at 11:34 am local time Tuesdaymorning. According to Nepal's National Seismological Center, the quake's epicenterwas located near Khanigaun. The tremor was felt in Kathmandu valleyas well. This is the 461th aftershock of magnitude 4 and greater recorded since2015 Gorkha earthquake. No preliminary damage or injuries have been reported.

June 29, 2016,Nepal: Atleast 13 tremors were recorded by 5:51 pm in less than three hours, My Republicahas mentionedquoting the National Seismological Centre in Kathmandu. A hostel of Dashrath Higher Secondary School in Aatichaur area of Bajhang has been collapsed by theearthquake, Nagarik, thenational newspaper of Nepal reported. No causalities have been reported. Theearthquakes developed cracks in multiple government buildings includingthose of Survey Department, Agriculture Office,District Administration Office and others. Earthquake also developed cracks inParvati Secondary SchoolofKailashmadau-9 of Paima.

July 12, 2016, Indonesia: Mount Bromo volcaniceruption in Indonesia closed all activities at the Abdurrahman Salehairport in Malang district. Mount Bromo spewed a columnof ash by up to 1,200 meters to the sky on Monday, XinhuaNews reported quoting Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the nationaldisaster management agency. Tourists are banned from entering thearea of 1 kilometer from the crater.

Extremeheat & drought / wildfires

July 07, 2016, USA: The U.S. Summer is Off to a Record-Hot Start -Last month was the warmest June in 122 years of U.S. record keeping, beatingout June 1933. Each of the 48 contiguous states came in above its averagetemperature for June, with Arizona and Utah setting all-time June records forheat. Thirteen other states had a top-ten-warmest June, stretching across thenation from California to Florida. Could this end up as the hottest summer inU.S. history? The contiguous United States has seen six of its ten warmestsummers on record in just the last 15 years. On that basis alone, 2016 has areasonable shot at becoming our hottest summer yet, especially with the headstart provided by a record-warm June. On the other hand, there is plenty ofinherent variability from week to week and month to month, even in weatherthat’s averaged across the country. Models suggest that temperatures maychallenge the 100°F mark as far north as the Dakotas by later next week, with90s enveloping most of the nation east of the Rockies for what could be anextended period. The 8-14-day outlook from the NWS Weather Prediction Centershows high odds for above-average temperatures over the entire contiguous U.S.except for the Pacific Northwest, with odds favoring below-averageprecipitation for most of the Plains and mid-South. If the heat manifests asexpected, it may be enough to counterbalance the northern mildness so far inJuly and keep 2016 in the running for warmest U.S. summer on record,particularly if August stays on the hot side.

 Korean Drought:

The North Korea received enough rain inJune to ease a drought that had been described by Pyongyang as the worst in acentury, although parts of the country remain acutely short of water. Inmid-June the country had been hit by the worst drought in 100 years. It hasbeen hit by its worst drought in a century, resulting in extensive damage toagriculture. The drought had caused about 30% of its rice paddies to dry up.Rice plants normally need to be partially submerged in water during the earlysummer. However rainfall was abnormally low in May.

Source:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/17/north-korea-worst-drought-100-years

In North Korea, Unicef said severe droughtduring 2015 in four agricultural provinces led to a 20% reduction in cropproduction compared with 2014. “The impact of this will continue into 2016.Cereal rations were reduced, impacting the nutritional and health status ofwomen and children,” it said in a statement. UN children’s agency wants £12.6mto help 25,000 children affected by country’s severe drought as part of global£1.9bn appeal for 2016. About 25,000 children in North Korea require immediatetreatment for malnutrition after a drought cut food production by a fifth andthe government reduced rations, Unicef has warned.

Source:https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/jan/26/unicef-appeal-2016-severe-child-malnourishment-north-korea

Early prospects for 2016 main season food crops favourable

Planting of the 2016 main season food crops, including rice, maize,soybeans and potatoes, normally starts in April and continues until mid-June.Normal to above-normal rainfall since

April over central and southern ‘’food-basket’’ provinces of the country,coupled with improved supplies of irrigation water, benefitted plantingoperations and early crop development. Assuming favourable precipitation forthe remainder of the season, the 2016 main season cereal output is expected torecover from the drought-affected harvest of 2015.

Production of 2016 early season crops expected to recover from lastyear’s sharply reduced level

Latest official production forecasts from the Ministry of Agriculture(MoA) put the 2016 early season potatoes, wheat and barley crops, currentlybeing harvested, at 363000 tonnes (cereal

equivalent), 21percent higher than the sharply-reduced 2015 level. Theexpected production gain is the result of favourable weather during thecropping season and improved water availability in the main reservoirs thatboosted yield prospects. Early season potato production in 2016 is forecast byFAO at 297000 tonnes, 27percent above the previous year’s level, while thecombined production of wheat and barley is expected to almost double from lastyear’s level and reach 66000 tonnes.

Source: http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-peoples-republic-korea/giews-country-brief-democratic-peoples-republic-korea-16

Report from Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations