The 10 most expensive severe incidents in 2022 have been identified in a new report by Christian Aid. The report looks at disastrous events which cost more than $3 billion – $100 billion to repair.
Since most of these estimates are only based on insured losses, the actual financial costs are probably far higher, and the human costs are frequently not considered.
As the world experiences stronger storms, more severe downpours, and droughts caused by rising global temperatures due to human activity, Christian Aid has highlighted the greatest climate-related disasters of the year.
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The world is currently not on track to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping temperature increases below 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels, which is why much more urgent action is needed. The recent COP27 climate summit in Egypt, held on 6-20 November 2022, further emphasised that the current trajectory of world governments places us at 2.5°C warmer by the end of the century.
They emphasise the significance of the loss and damage fund, which was just approved at COP27 and is intended to help those in developing nations who have incurred significant losses due to a climate crisis, for they are not to blame. The nonprofit organisation for international development is urging world leaders to decide how to run the fund and start putting money into it.
Christian Aid
Christian Aid is the relief and development agency of 41 Christian churches in the UK and Ireland. It supports sustainable development, eradicates poverty, supports civil society and provides disaster relief in South America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. (Reference: Wikipedia)
Christian Aid CEO, Patrick Watt, said:
“Having ten separate climate disasters in the last year that each cost more than $3 billion points to the financial cost of inaction on the climate crisis. But behind the dollar figures lie millions of stories of human loss and suffering. Without major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, this human and financial toll will only increase.
“Some of these catastrophes hit with blinding speed, and others unfolded – such as the terrible drought in East Africa – over many months.
Image: UN News -Severe drought is killing livestock in the pastoralist community of Higlo Kebele in Ethiopia.
“The UK did not escape the ravages of climate change in 2022, with both Storm Eunice and the summer heatwave taking their toll. These set both a new UK windspeed record and the highest temperature record. This underlines the need for policies to accelerate the transition to net zero and the folly of the decision to open a new coal mine in Cumbria.”
Here are the 10 most costly disasters of the year and other events:
Date | Event | Type | Location | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14-19 February | Storm Eunice | Extratropical cyclone | Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland and the UK | +4.3 billion | ||
23 Feb to 31 Mar | East Australia floods | Floods | Australia | 60,000+ | +7.5 billion | |
8 to 15 Apr | KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape floods | Floods | South Africa | 40,000+ | +3.0 billion | |
14 June to September | Pakistan floods | Floods | Pakistan | 7.0 million | +5.6 billion | |
June to September | China floods | Floods | China | 239 | +12.3 billion | |
June to September | European drought | Drought | Europe | +20 billion | ||
14 to 28 September | Hurricane Fiona | Tropical cyclone | Caribbean, Canada | 13,000 | +3 billion | |
23 September – 2 October | Hurricane Ian | Tropical cyclone | Cuba, US | +40,000 | +100 billion | |
All year | Brazil drought | Drought | Brazil | 0 | +4 billion | |
All year | China drought | Drought | China | 0 | +8.4 billion | |
16 December-19 January | Malaysian floods | Tropical depression | Malaysia | 70,000 | ||
22 January-5 February | Back-to-back storms in Southeast Africa | Tropical storms and tropical cyclones | Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi | |||
20 January-16 March | Tierra del Fuego wildfire | Wildfire | Chile | 0 | ||
15 February | Petropolis floods | Floods | Brazil | 1,400 | ||
18 March | Arctic & Antarctic heatwaves | Heatwave | Arctic and Antarctic regions | |||
March and April | India and Pakistan heatwave | Heatwave | India and Pakistan | |||
October | West Africa floods | Floods | Mali, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger | 1.3 million | ||
October | Cyclone Sitrang | Tropical cyclone | Bangladesh | 1 million | ||
October | Tropical Storm Nalgae | Tropical storm | Philippines | 850,000 | ||
All year | Horn of Africa drought | Drought | Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya | 6m people ‘affected’ | ||
Table&Source: Christian Aid |
Hurricane Ian - $100 billion
One of the climate-related disaster was Hurricane Ian, which in September caused $100 billion in damage. It forced 40,000 people from their homes in the US and Cuba. While the floods in Pakistan killed more than 1,700 people, forced 7 million more people to flee their homes, and according to World Bank estimates, caused $30 billion in economic damage, the drought and heatwave in Europe cost $20 billion each. Only $5.6 billion of these losses were covered by insurance since it was so difficult to get it.
Flooding in Eastern Australia - $7.5b
One of the biggest flood disasters ever recorded in Australia occurred during February and March 2022.
Flooding in eastern Australian states from late February to early March resulted in the deaths of 27 people and the displacement of 60,000. While several communities in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland were still fighting to recover from record flooding the month prior, there was a month’s worth of rain in just six hours.
Following unusual rain that burst river banks and battered the east coast, thousands of Australian citizens were forced to leave their homes for the second time in weeks.
Image: 7 News
Wrapping up
Governments, businesses, and individuals need to take action to address climate change and reduce the risk of future disasters. This can involve reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change’s impacts, and investing in infrastructure and other measures to mitigate the risks of future disasters, like solar PV systems with solar panel installation, wind turbines at home or converting your next car to an electric vehicle (EV).
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