[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 119 (Thursday, September 21, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INTERNATIONAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION ACT

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 21, 2006

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, from hurricanes and floods in Latin 
America to earthquakes in Asia, natural disasters are increasingly 
becoming a regular feature of life for large numbers of people around 
the globe. By 2050, two billion people are expected to be especially 
vulnerable to floods due to growing populations, indiscriminate logging 
on hillsides, rapid urbanization, and increasing development along 
coasts and in other hazardous regions.
  Thankfully, as I have seen on trips to disaster-affected area, the 
devastating impacts of natural disasters can be mitigated by building 
in safer locations, constructing sturdier dwellings, enforcing sound 
building practices, and protecting natural ecosystems. For example, 
communities in Indonesia that had intact mangrove stands along their 
coastlines were protected from the full force of the December 2004 
tsunami and faced less damage and fewer lives lost. In many Indonesian 
towns, the only buildings left standing were the mosques, having been 
built to a higher standard.
  In 2004, the United States spent $529 million responding to disasters 
in foreign countries, making us the largest donor for disaster relief, 
recovery, and rehabilitation. However, according to a study by the 
WorId Bank and the United States Geological Survey, during the 1990s, 
$40 billion invested globally in preventive measures could have saved 
$280 billion in disaster relief funds and saved countless lives.
  To address these issues, Mr. Burton and I are introducing the 
International Disaster Risk Reduction Act. This bill promotes the use 
of disaster mitigation efforts in foreign countries, authorizes 
assistance to help in those efforts, and requires that U.S. disaster 
relief efforts help make communities less vulnerable to future 
disasters.

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