Weather Disasters Gaining Momentum.

Weather Disasters Gaining Momentum August 31, 2009 by mereza

Abnormal warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean creates havoc in weather patterns across the Asia-Pacific region. The Climate Prediction Centre in the United States warned that these unusual warming creates settings favourable for El Nino conditions to materialise. If it manifests then it could bring about drought conditions to Australia’s farmlands. The abnormal patterns are indicating that warmer, moist weather moves towards the east, leaving drier weather in the western Pacific and Australia.

Australian-firefighters Australia is the world’s fourth largest wheat exporter and its grain production still recovering from previous dry weather effects. That status plummeted after it suffered the worst drought in 100 years with the 2006/2007 crop dropping to just 10.6 million tones and the 2007/8 crop to 13.0 million tons. Scientists have linked El Nino with Australian droughts. (i) One of the most-feared weather related disasters is floods due to the very devastating effects on the surrounding regions. Buildings and structures which stand in their way are damaged and destroyed, and these floods cause loss of life and property on a huge scale. Hence it is important that we know about taking the right steps in such a situation. It makes one wonder to what extent are the communities which suffered through the previous massive floods calamities aware of the flood safety measures which they can implement to be safe in flood occurs in their area. (iii)

A mudslide in Kaohsiung. Photo. AP In Japan, laboratory research on maritime disaster caused by waves, and storm surges revealed that global warming will influence extreme weathers such as the number, intensity and course of typhoons and hurricanes. Their findings revealed that the annual average wave heights have increased in the last fifty years and the patterns of extreme waves more frequent. (iv) The United Nations climate change conference 2005 noted that the largest financial losses ever experienced till then was due to weather-related natural disasters in that year. World’s top reinsurance companies estimated economic losses at more than US$200 billion while insured losses exceeded US$70 billion. The observation made by the United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP) is that people and communities everywhere are more vulnerable to weather-related natural disasters. (v)Apparently, economic losses related to atmospheric disasters showed a definitive trend compared to those related to earthquakes for the years 1950 to 2004. While not underestimating the human tragedy of earthquakes which kill thousands, the human toll of weather related disasters somehow are the ones on the rise. The insurance industry have keenly followed studies and scientific evidence which point to major tropical storms in the Atlantic and the pacific have increased in duration and intensity by about 50 percent since the 1970s. Obviously insured losses due to weather related disasters will reach record-breaking levels.

Weather disaster images For the United States, this decade ranks as the worst ever in the country’s history in terms of economic losses and casualties from hurricanes. Most worrying to forecasters is abnormal patterns of “pop-up tropical storms” i.e. sudden developments within two to three days. A classic example is Hurricane Humberto in 2007 which formed and intensified to full blown category one hurricane within just one day. The result – US$50 million in damages. (vi) Are we in tandem with the momentum in terms of disaster management? Have the recent weather catastrophes and other natural disasters generated enough awareness of the importance of disaster management? To what extent the partnership between the government, donors, civil society organizations, NGOs and the private sector as well as the communities developed to handle the growing issues. Has enough attention and follow-up been done in terms of prevention, reaction, and rehabilitation? The catastrophic scale of extreme weather disasters could destroy civilizations built through centuries. As the weather patterns indicate they are growing in momentum, are our efforts at building capacities in order to face and manage disasters, hazards, and risks in the world especially in developing countries where the vulnerability is highest, proportionate? (ii) Or, have our efforts in these directions been in inverse proportions to the growing force of natural disasters? References:(i)

Welt. International News. Weather disasters, Australia at high risk of being struck by El Nino, July 1, 2009

(ii) Yemen Times, Wednesday August 26, 2009 – Issue: (746), Volume 13.UNDP Disaster Management Project in Yemen gains momentum, Nadia Al-Saqqaf (iii)

Maps of the World. Weather related disasters.

(iv)

Maritime Disaster Research Section, DPRI, Kyoto, Kyoto University

(v) 2005 (ENS)

Environment News service, Climate Talks: 2005 Weather Disasters Most Costly Ever MONTREAL, Quebec, Canada, December 7,

(vi) ABC News. Hurricane Season Begins: Increased Storms Off U.S. Coastline Have Forecasters Concerned. DARCY BONFILS and KELLY HAGAN. June 1, 2009