The United Nations called on private sector to incorporate disaster risk management to their investment strategies in avoid economic losses from disasters.
　　“Governments bear the responsibility for disaster risk reduction. But the level of risk is also related to the where and the how of investment by the private sector, which is responsible for 70 to 85 per cent of worldwide investment in new buildings, industry and critical infrastructure,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the launch of the latest global assessment report by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
　　“Economic losses from disasters are out of control,” Mr. Ban said. “They can only be reduced in partnership with the private sector, including investment banks and insurance companies. For too long, markets have placed greater value on short-term returns than on sustainability and resilience. At long last, we are coming to understand that reducing exposure to disaster risk is not a cost but an opportunity to make that investment more attractive in the long term.”