The Need for Understanding Disaster Risk for Resilient City Development

Rapid urbanization has been a common phenomenon in most developing countries. Asia is no exception. Many major Asian cities are fast-growing but without proper physical planning guidelines. For instance, development is taking place in areas that are prone to risk from natural hazards and could be seen as a serious concern. With a view to reduce damage and encourage resilient development, the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) has emphasized on understanding disaster risk. This paper has tried to understand the current situation in Asian cities with regard to resilient development. Publicly available data and information published, are used to understand the development patterns of the major cities in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand. This research finds that Asian cities are at a very early stage in understanding disaster risk and climate change effects ahead of city planning and physical expansion. As a result of unplanned development without considering potential risks, citizens are becoming vulnerable to natural hazards. Therefore, it is important to understand the potential disaster risks and climate change impacts for resilient city development and for effective urban planning. The outcome of the paper will help in formulating policy guidelines for the respective cases.