Vietnam ranks second in the percentage of households prepared for disaster

In a recent report by Gallup (a leading US analysis and consulting company), the four Southeast Asian countries - Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia - lead the world in terms of the percentage of households that have prepared disasters response plans. 

According to a Gallup survey, on average, around 35% of people who have experienced recent disasters have received disaster preparedness warnings from their governments. Household preparedness rates are relatively higher in many Southeast Asian countries: the Philippines (84%), Vietnam (83%), Cambodia (82%) and Thailand (67%).

The data comes from Gallup’s 2023 Global Risk Survey for Lloyd’s Register, released in June 2024. “We want this freely available data to be used by governments, regulators, businesses, NGOs, and international agencies to inform and target policies and interventions that keep people safer,” the survey said.

Based on Gallup’s risk survey data, collaboration among Southeast Asian countries has played a key role in reducing disaster risks, with a region-wide approach that includes early warning systems, increased community engagement and cooperation, and access to disaster finance. This demonstrates that even countries with limited resources can effectively leverage early warning systems and equip families with disaster preparedness.

Mr. Benedict Vigers, research consultant of Gallup, affirmed to the world press: "Southeast Asia's success in disaster preparedness can be related to the region's frequent exposure to natural disasters, the region's relatively high resilience, from individuals to the whole society, and the region's approach and investment in disaster risk management in general."

He added that Southeast Asia lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a 40,000-kilometer-long belt of geological instability that includes 75 percent of the Earth's volcanoes and produces 90 percent of its earthquakes. 

In the near future, environmental risks such as severe storms, floods, wildfires and droughts will increasingly force countries to focus on ensuring their citizens are prepared for worst-case scenarios.