GENEVA: The United Nations’ weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), released an updated report on Monday revealing that extreme weather and climate-related disasters have caused significant economic damage over the past 50 years.
The report highlighted nearly 12,000 such events worldwide, resulting in the loss of more than 2 million lives and economic damages amounting to $4.3 trillion.
While early warning systems have helped reduce the human casualties caused by these disasters, economic losses continue to rise. The WMO emphasized the need for further improvement in alert systems for extreme weather events by 2027.
The organization underlined that economic losses had increased significantly, while coordinated disaster management and improved early warnings have played a vital role in minimizing the loss of human lives during this period.
The WMO has consistently warned about the impacts of man-made climate change, stating that rising temperatures have contributed to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, including floods, hurricanes, cyclones, heatwaves, and droughts.
The agency’s report noted that developing countries accounted for 90% of the global deaths caused by these disasters, while the United States experienced the most serious economic damage, totaling $1.7 trillion. Relative to gross domestic product (GDP), developing countries have been disproportionately affected by the economic impacts.
WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas highlighted the recent cyclonic storm Mocha, which affected Myanmar and Bangladesh, as an example of how vulnerable communities bear the brunt of weather-related hazards. Thanks to early warnings and improved disaster management, catastrophic mortality rates in these regions have significantly reduced compared to past events that claimed tens or even hundreds of thousands of lives.
Economic Losses from Climate and Extreme Weather
The updated findings were part of the WMO’s Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Climate, Weather, and Water Extremes, which now covers a nearly 50-year period through 2021. However, the WMO acknowledged certain limitations, such as potential improvements in reporting that might have influenced the increasing number of reported disasters. Additionally, estimating the economic toll can be challenging, and the actual damage might exceed the reported figures.
According to the WMO’s analysis, tropical cyclones were the primary cause of reported human and economic losses worldwide. Africa experienced over 1,800 disasters, resulting in 733,585 deaths and significant economic losses. The southwest Pacific saw nearly 1,500 disasters, causing 66,951 deaths and economic losses of $185.8 billion.
Asia faced more than 3,600 disasters, resulting in 984,263 deaths and economic losses of $1.4 trillion, primarily due to cyclones. South America witnessed 943 disasters, leading to 58,484 deaths and economic losses exceeding $115 billion. In Central America, North America, and the Caribbean, over 2,100 disasters caused 77,454 deaths and $2 trillion in economic losses. Europe experienced nearly 1,800 disasters, resulting in 166,492 deaths and economic losses of $562 billion.
Last week, the WMO also forecasted a 66% chance of Earth experiencing a year within the next five years that will average 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the mid-19th century, reaching a key threshold targeted by the Paris climate accord of 2015.
