When Typhoon Haiyan smashed into the Philippines in 2013, killing more than 6,000 people, everything was wiped out on the tiny island of Tulang Diyot, with all its 500 houses destroyed.

But early warnings and a swift evacuation just before the storm struck saved the island's entire population of 1,000 people from one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever, which left a trail of destruction across the Asian country.

Now some experts are pushing for more recognition of such efforts to avert disasters, or at least their worst effects — which they say would help the world better prepare for accelerating climate change impacts and ease rising eco-anxiety.