Home to more disasters than any other regions, Asia and the Pacific face rising risks as extreme environmental events grow in both frequency and intensity. At the heart of disaster preparedness, lies a crucial yet often overlooked system: Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS).
Not only are these systems essential for ensuring that everyone has access to a legal identity, as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 16.9, they provide critical and accurate population data, which enable effective disaster planning, response, resource allocation and recovery efforts. By providing the foundation for identifying vulnerable and at-risk populations, tracking mortality and ensuring access to relief aid and services, CRVS systems also foster resilience to climate change and crises in line with SDG target 1.5.
Many countries are strengthening birth and death registration processes as part of their commitments under the Asia-Pacific CRVS Decade and its Regional Action Framework, aiming to ensure that all people in the region will benefit from universal and responsive CRVS systems. However, achieving this vision requires considerable time and significant investments as many national systems continue to face challenges in capturing vital events, such as birth and deaths, and these challenges are particularly pronounced in times of disasters and other crises.
One key lesson from the Covid-19 pandemic is that many CRVS systems were simply not capable of handling disruptions caused by large-scale emergencies. As the number of deaths rose, so did the proportion of them that went by unregistered, leaving policymakers without the critical data needed for timely, informed decision-making during the emergency. As shown in the recent report: Progress Made on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific After a Decade of Getting Every One in the Picture, many countries in the Asia-Pacific region have made significant improvements to their CRVS systems in the aftermath of the pandemic. Yet, in a world of accelerating climate change and growing uncertainty, the pressing question remains: Are they now resilient enough to withstand the shocks of future disasters and emergencies?
Enhancing disaster response with resilient CRVS systems
CRVS data plays a critical role in disaster preparedness and response, providing accurate information on births, deaths and population distributions. When integrated into disaster management, this data enhances coordination, recovery and tailored risk reduction efforts. Cause-specific mortality data derived from death registration further supports health planning, while comprehensive death registration and cause-of-death records also enable governments to track disaster-related mortality, identify vulnerable populations, and develop evidence-based policies to reduce future disaster impacts.
However, in the aftermath of a disaster, backlogs of unregistered events accumulate, often accompanied by inaccurate reporting, and delays. Additionally, civil registration offices may be forced to close or critical documents may be destroyed, further complicating efforts to maintain accurate records. This highlights the importance of ensuring CRVS systems continue operating, as they provide critical data for disaster risk reduction, enabling effective response and recovery efforts. To address these vulnerabilities, it is imperative that we invest in building crisis-ready CRVS systems. Measures such as the adoption of online or mobile capabilities for CRVS systems when physical offices are inaccessible, along with establishing disaster continuity plans and guidelines, are essential to ensure that CRVS systems can operate without significant interruption, even in the face of unprecedented events.
Building resilient CRVS systems fit for the future
In response to these challenges, ESCAP is working closely with countries across Asia and the Pacific to build CRVS systems that are capable of withstanding these disruptions but also able to prevent, resist, absorb, adapt to, and recover from a wide range of risks, minimising any impact on their ability to record vital statistics even in times of crisis. Strengthening these systems ensures that, even in the face of disaster, countries can continue to track key demographic data, facilitate post-disaster recovery and improve disaster risk management.
At the Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, delegates reaffirmed their commitment to building inclusive and resilient CRVS systems as a cornerstone for ensuring legal identity for all. The conference culminated in the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration on a Decade of Action for Inclusive and Resilient Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, which outlines strategic actions to strengthen CRVS systems. Among the key priorities identified was the recognition of CRVS as an essential service, vital for maintaining continuity during emergencies and crises.
Safeguarding progress: Resilient CRVS for sustainable development
As risks are becoming more prevalent, whether due to climate change, conflicts, or pandemics, CRVS systems must be able to withstand these shocks, so they can continue issuing legal identity, and generate critical data that informs policy and protects the most vulnerable.
In 2012, an estimated 135 million children in Asia and the Pacific lacked birth registration, but by 2024, this number had decreased to approximately 51 million. Although the region has seen much progress in terms of the number of vital events being registered, this progress must be maintained. Building resilient CRVS means being able to safeguard this progress. This requires sustained political commitment, continued investment in system strengthening, and a proactive approach to ensure CRVS systems are adapted to meet the needs of the people they serve and the environments in which they operate.
Tanja Sejersen is a statistician with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
Nicolas Patoine-Hamel, Technical Specialist, ESCAP.
Norman Makunika, Intern, ESCAP.
The views and opinions discussed are their own.
