ABSTRACT
Empirical evidence points to the increased frequency and destructive potential of natural and technological disasters. From data collected at Leuven University by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), 1 we know that 11,713 disasters have taken place between 2000 and 2016, killing more than 1.4 million people, injuring almost 5 million, and leaving almost 38 million homeless. More than 3.6 billion people have been affected, and the material damage has exceeded USD 2 trillion. 2 Notwithstanding a slight decrease in the number of catastrophic events over the last few years, the overall trend shows a clear surge in their incidence and in the economic damage caused.
