Coping with extreme weather events

Jane Milne

Climate Change Leader

Association of British Insurers

Extreme weather events appear to be more commonplace

Extreme weather impacts

                              

                                             

Extreme weather events destroy and disrupt

•We are not set up to cope with the immediate and long run effects of severe weather events•‘Modern’ living is MORE vulnerable to weather events, not less•The way we use new technology has increased susceptibility, not reduced it

Climate change and extreme events

• 2003 heatwave will be ‘normal’ by mid century

• Sea level rise and storminess could make coastal flooding 10-20 times more frequent

• More intense rainfall events could increase urban flooding damage by factor of 10-15

• Tropical windstorm effects predicted to increase intensity of storms – damage up by 66-75% in US and Japan

Megacities facing natural hazard risks (50 most economically important global cities)

Natural Hazard High hazard risk

Medium hazard risk

Low hazard risk

Tropical storm 6 2 9

Winter storm 3 6 8

Thunderstorm hailstorm or tornado

0 36 14

Flood 2 21 26

Storm surge 2 9 12

If we learn to adapt……….