Reducing human harm from natural hazards

In the 1970s, about 69 natural disasters were recorded worldwide every year. By the 2000s, this average had increased to 350 per year. Changes in the natural environment, owing in part to global warming, have elevated disaster risk and in consequence adaptation to those changes is testing human ingenuity. Developing countries tend to bear a disproportionate share of the adverse consequences of increased disaster risk since multiple vulnerabilities associated with lower levels of development and inadequate resources hinder them from more rapidly building up resilient infrastructure and knowledge capacities for risk reduction.

Related Subject(s): Environment and Climate Change