Planet prepare: preparing coastal communities in Asia for future catastrophes

Tens of billions of dollars must be spent on protecting millions of people living on the coasts of Asia Pacific if climate change-induced disasters are not to wreak havoc and eradicate decades of development, warns World Vision. The World Vision report not only looks at the latest research around climate change but also examines how communities from Bangladesh to Papua New Guinea are being severely impacted by storms and sea level rise. The report, by author Johannes Luetz, says billions needs to be spent on strengthening community resilience in villages and cities, educating children to be disaster ready, putting in place disaster-resistant infrastructure and early warning systems, and giving people new job options. Failure to act will leave tens of millions of people at extreme vulnerability and reverse development gains.