In a widely cited report, some of the world’s leading climate scientists conclude that global warming will result in more extreme weather events and urge strengthening disaster preparedness. Swiss Re contributed to the new report with its research on climate risks and expertise in climate adaptation.
Even if all carbon emissions were stopped today, the world’s climate would continue to change. This makes climate adaptation an urgent priority. Investing in measures that help communities better cope with floods, droughts and severe storms will go a long way to preparing them for a future marked by more weather extremes and natural disasters.
That is the message of “Managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate change adaptation,” the latest report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in April 2012. The study shows that climate change has led to more heat waves, record high temperatures and, in many regions, heavy rainfall. But it also highlights ways to adapt to the risk of disasters, such as by introducing early warning systems for hurricanes and flood-proofing buildings.
Andreas Spiegel, Swiss Re’s senior climate change advisor, contributed to the report as an author and expert reviewer, sharing Swiss Re’s work on the economics of climate adaptation with the IPCC.
"The latest IPCC report confirms Swiss Re’s view on the links between climatic, environmental and socio-economic factors driving increasing weather-related losses,” Spiegel says. “We are pleased to see that it formally recognises the important role of disaster risk management and risk transfer solutions. In the absence of a global climate deal, there is an urgency to strengthen climate resilience through pragmatic and cost-effective adaptation measures, especially in the most vulnerable regions of the developing world."
Published 10 April 2012
