Based on WMOweather, climate and water related danger caused nearly 12,000 disasters from 1970 to 2021. Developing countries are the hardest hit, seeing nine out of 10 people die And 60 percent economic damage from extreme weather and climate shocks.
The WMO said the least developed countries and small island developing states incur “disproportionately” high costs relative to the size of their economies.
WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said: “The most vulnerable communities unfortunately bear the brunt of weather, climate and water-related hazards.
amazing inequality
In the least developed countries, WMO has reported that several disasters over the past half century have caused economic losses of up to 30% of gross domestic product (GDP).
In small island developing countries, one out of every five disasters has an impact “equivalent to more than 5%” of GDP, with some wipe out the entire GDP of countries.
Asia has seen the highest death toll from extreme weather, climate and water-related events in the past 50 years, with almost a million people died – more than half in Bangladesh aloneD.
In Africa, WMO holds that Draw metal accounted for 95% of 733,585 climate disaster deaths reported.
Early warning saves lives
However, WMO emphasizes that has improved early warning and disaster management coordination helped reduce the deadly impact of natural disasters. “Early warnings will save lives,” Taalas said.
The UN agency also noted that the deaths recorded for 2020 and 2021 are lower than the average of the previous decade.
Point to the example of severe cyclone cyclone Mocha last week, which caused havoc in coastal areas of Myanmar and Bangladesh and hit “the poorest of the poor“Mr. Taalas recalled that similar weather disasters in the past had caused “the death toll in the tens, even hundreds of thousands” in both countries.
“Thanks to early warnings and disaster management, this catastrophic death rate has become history,” said the head of WMO.
‘Low hanging fruit’
Organ previously showed that just 24 hours’ notice of an impending weather hazard can cut further damage by 30%, calling early warnings the “low-hanging fruit” of climate change adaptation because they ten times return on investment.
WMO publishes new findings on the economic and human toll of weather-caused disasters every four years World Meteorological Congressopened on Monday in Geneva with a focus on realizing the goals of the United Nations Early warning for all initiative.
Don’t leave anyone behind
This initiative aims to ensure that early warning services reach all people on Earth by the end of 2027. This initiative is initiated by the United Nations. Secretary General António Guterres in COP27 climate change conference in Sharm al-Sheikh last November.
Currently, only half world covered by early warning systems, with small island developing countries and least developed countries far behind.
Earlier this year, the The head of the United Nations gathers the heads of the agency and partners to rapidly roll out the Early Warning for All initiative.
A first set of 30 countries are particularly at risk – almost half of which are in Africa – have been identified to launch the initiative by 2023.
