Pacific

Vanuatu one of the most vulnerable countries to natural hazards

12:10 pm on 20 November 2013

The World Bank says Vanuatu is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to natural hazards such as volcanos, cyclones and tsunamis.

Vanuatu is in the top ten of countries around the globe with the highest average annual disaster losses as a share of gross domestic product or GDP.

According to the World Bank, almost seven percent of GDP is lost, on average, every year due to natural disasters.

It says a national early warning centre will be opened in the capital Port Vila this to help Vanuatu assess the threats posed by natural hazards like volcanoes, cyclones and tsunamis.