Water-related hazards dominate the list of the 10 most devastating disasters |

The Atlas of Deaths and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970-2019) – to be published in September – finds that of the 10 disasters that have caused the most human deaths in the past five decades, droughts top the list with some 650,000 deaths in the whole world.

Storms killed 577,000 people, floods killed more than 58,000 people, and extreme temperatures caused the deaths of more than 55,000 people.

heavy rain events

Excerpts from the report have been released as temperatures rise in parts of North America, and Unprecedented floods In North Central Europe still dominate the headlines.

The German National Weather Service said precipitation for up to two months fell in two days, on July 14 and 15, affecting parts of Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Austria.

According to news reports, more than 120 people have died in Germany alone, and hundreds are still missing.
Meanwhile, parts of central China’s Henan Province received more accumulated rain between July 17 and 21 than the usual average for an entire calendar year.

economic losses

The report estimates that of the top 10 events examined between 1970 and 2019, storms caused economic losses estimated at $521 billion, while floods accounted for nearly $115 billion.
Excerpts from the report show that floods and storms have caused the largest losses in Europe in the past 50 years, in At a cost of 377.5 billion dollars.

The 2002 flood in Germany caused losses of $16.48 billion, which is the most costly event in Europe during the considered period.

Across the continent, a total of 1672 recorded disasters resulted in the death of nearly 160,000 people and $476.5 billion in economic damage.

Clearly linked to climate change

Weather, climate and water-related hazards Increasing frequency and severity as a result of climate change,” She said social support law Secretary General Petteri Taalas.

“The human and economic toll was tragically highlighted by torrential rains, devastating floods and loss of life in Central Europe and China in the past week,” he added.

Taalas also noted that the recent record-breaking heat waves in North America are “clearly linked” to global warming, recently citing Quick Attribution Analysis That climate change, caused by greenhouse gas emissions, made a heat wave At least 150 times the chance of it happening.

Stressing that no country is immune from such changes, he said it is necessary to increase investment in adaptation to climate change, including through strengthening multi-hazard early warning systems.