Climate Sense

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Climate network for disaster mitigation:

lessons learned and future directions

Dr N. H. Saji and Dr W. J. Lee, APEC Climate Center, Korea

ydrometeorological disasters account for the majority

of the world’s natural disasters, and continue to inflict

human suffering and economic loss around the globe.

Underdeveloped or developing countries are especially vulner-

able to climate disasters, as exemplified by the case of Cyclone

Nargis, which caused landfall in Myanmar in May 2008. With

140,000 estimated casualties, Nargis ranks as the deadliest

natural disaster on record in Myanmar. However, even the most

advanced countries may suffer setbacks from climate disas-

ters, as clearly demonstrated by Hurricane Katrina, which hit

Louisiana and Mississippi at the end of August 2005, killing

1,300 people and forcing 1.5 million out of the affected areas.

It is a matter of great concern that global economic losses associ-

ated with extreme weather and climate events are on the rise. Even

more alarming is the significant increase in the average number

of hydrometeorological disasters in recent decades. For example,

the average hydrometeorological disasters reported for 1987-1998

amounted to 195. For the years 2000-2006, this average increased by

187 per cent to 365.

Such climatic catastrophes impact developed

nations as well as developing ones, albeit in different ways. It is true

that the number of fatalities in the developed world, where warning

systems are more sophisticated and effective, is disproportionately

smaller than that in developing countries. On the other hand, the

absolute magnitude of economic loss is greatest in the

developed countries, while its impact is more devastat-

ing and enduring in emerging countries

The worldwide increase of climate-related disasters

in recent years may herald the dawning of a new era of

catastrophes. The multiplying population and greater

concentration of assets in high-risk areas, coupled with

the potential for even more frequent weather extremes

due to climate change, portend even more devastat-

ing events in the coming years. One of the expected

effects of global warming is higher storm, hurricane and

typhoon intensity. This has been predicted by theory

and modelling, and supported by empirical data on

climate change.

With the ubiquitous trend towards

globalization, the impacts of these disasters are likely to

be felt far beyond where they initially hit in an increas-

ingly interdependent world.

Development of a multi-economy network for

disaster mitigation

There is clearly an urgent need for developing and

implementing coherent risk reduction and adapta-

tion strategies to reduce catastrophic human and

economic loss in the future. Given that climate knows

isk

oveRnance

and

anaGeMent

Occurrence of hydrometeorological disasters: 1987-2006 with averages for the periods 1987-1998 and 2000-2006

Number of hydrometeorological disasters

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Average 87-98

Average 00-06

Source: P. Hoyois, R. Below, J-M. Scheuren, D. Guha-Sapir, 2007: Annual Disaster Statistical Review – Numbers and Trends, 2006, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels