GENEVA (Reuters) - Natural disasters caused nearly $110 billion of damage in China last year, a warning to other emerging economies ill-prepared for potential hazards, the United Nations said on Thursday.
A May earthquake in Sichuan and extreme weather made China the most disaster-affected country in economic terms in 2008, said the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).
The U.N. body said the world economy suffered a $181 billion blow from naturally-occurring events such as floods, storms, volcanic eruptions, wildfires and droughts in 2008.
Much of the devastation was avoidable, said ISDR Director Salvano Briceno.
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