ABSTRACT
The local tropical climate and the concentration of people in few densely populated regions also exposed the population to epidemics and natural disasters such as fl oods, heavy storms and droughts, especially in the poorest parts of the country. Panama ranks 14th among the countries most exposed to multiple hazards with 15 per cent of its total area and 12.5 per cent of its population exposed to at least two hazards (World Bank, 2011).
