ABSTRACT
The Commonwealth has every reason to be concerned about natural disaster. Weather and climate-related natural hazards account for a great majority of disaster-related economic and human losses1 and in 2007 three of the top five most affected countries were Commonwealth Member States.2 Six of the ten most deadly disasters also occurred in Commonwealth Member States,3 including the top three.4 The United Kingdom ranked second in the world for the highest economic damage incurred by natural disaster, a rank equalled by Dominica which faced the second highest economic damage per capita.5
