Displacement due to natural hazard-induced disasters: global estimates for 2009 and 2010

Forced displacement due to natural hazard-induced disasters is a large-scale, global phenomenon. This study focuses on quantifying peak levels of displacement, including those due to preventative actions taken before and after the onset of a disaster, as people are forced to flee their homes and lands.

The author indicates that whilst estimates highlight the largest disasters and their impact on the scale of displacement globally, smaller-scale disasters are far less visible. In addition, the challenges of identifying and monitoring displacement due to slow-onset disasters needs to be tackled and brought into the lime light, as it is much less understood. Further findings include the following:

• on average about 16% of the total number of people reported as affected by sudden-onset disasters were found to have been displaced
• most of the reported displacement in 2009 and 2010 was concentrated in a relatively small number of countries and, by far, the highest levels of displacement were in Asia
• climate-related disasters triggered the majority of all human displacement in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
  

The document concludes that: 

• national and international actors must work towards a greater understanding of the cumulative impacts of frequent, small-scale events on the most vulnerable communities and individuals, and of their coping strategies
• increased understanding of the scale and impact of disaster-induced displacement is an essential step to inform coherent and consistent policy and action.