Natural disasters can be deadly but they don’t have to be. These are a few ways to take action to ensure humanity is prepared and protected in a climate changed planet.
In our A (CLIMATE) CHANGED PLANET series, we looked at how climate change is influencing various weather events — and thus, disaster. As temperatures rise and ice caps melt, even tsunamis will be added to the list of natural disasters that will become more common as our planet changes. Thus, on WORLD TSUNAMI AWARENESS DAY, these are some preventative actions we can take to ensure we reduce the spread of disaster as climate change continues to destabilize our planet.
In Summary: Climate Change, Disaster & Humanity
Over the past 50 years, extreme weather events have increased five-fold (11,000 disasters recorded). In the last decade, 80% of natural disasters were related to climate change — and over 1.7 billion people were impacted.
- Displacement — Nearly 1 person every second is displaced due to disaster. 43.1 million children were displaced because of weather-related disasters between 2017-2023: 20,000 children a day. By 2050, there could be 1.2 billion climate migrants.
- Water Scarcity —40% of the world’s population is affected by water scarcity. By 2050, this figure could increase to 60%. Higher temperatures, more frequent floods, and more prolonged droughts are also expected to increase water pollution.
- Food Supply — In 2020, 15.7 million people cited food insecurity due to weather-related disasters. Today, the total number of people facing global food insecurity is nearly 350 million — places more sensitive to climate change impacts, such as Yemen, South Sudan, Madagascar and Ethiopia, are facing a malnutrition catastrophe.
- Financial Loss — According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), weather related disasters cost the world $4.3 trillion dollars in the last 50 years.
- Inequality — Poorer countries contribute the least to climate change but they are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters. Over 90% of natural disaster-related deaths between 1970-2019 occurred in developing countries.
- Repercussions — The World Health Organization (WHO) expected 250,000 yearly deaths due to climate-related impacts, including disease and coastal flooding.
Take Action: Preventative Measures Against Climate Change & Natural Disaster
Climate change may be the defining crisis of our time, but solutions exist. Here are a few:
- Risk Management — Early warning systems and risk reduction efforts are preventative ways to save lives and avoid disaster. Organizations, like UNICEF and the WMO, provide resources, technical expertise, and risk assessment programs that allow local governments and people to be more prepared.
- Reduce emissions — If our world warms beyond 1.5°C, it could result in an even more disaster-prone future. To avoid this, emissions need to be reduced by 7.6% each year until 2030. Here are some tips.
- Support Global Policy — Encouraging local policymakers to adopt practical solutions, sustainable policy, and conservation programs can help mitigate risks of climate change. Learn about the UN’s sustainable development goals here.
- Donate
Be the good kind of change for HUMANITY — and support DISASTER RELIEF efforts with VAKOVAKO.
