Survey shows disaster-prone Southeast Asia is also best prepared, suggesting lessons can be learned

Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Southeast Asia is among the regions most prone to natural disasters, but a new analysis shows its people also feel the best equipped to deal with them. It seems logical that the countries along the Pacific Ring of Fire, vulnerable to earthquakes and other dangers, are also the best prepared. But the survey by Gallup for the Lloyd’s Register Foundation shows that’s not always the case in other regions. Experts say the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plays a key role in disaster risk reduction, and that countries’ wealth is not a deciding factor.