Guest guest Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 thanks regards Dr.JN Sharma On 10/12/08, Dr.V.N. Sharma <vnsh44 wrote: > The Article is from Down To Earth (Oct 15-31 Edition). It gives an idea of > Flood, Drought and Cyclone Hotspots on our part of the Planet. > > Dr.V.N.Sharma > > > > Death at your doorstep > > <http://www.downtoearth.org.in/image/20081015/58L.jpg> > <http://www.downtoearth.org.in/image/20081015/58L.jpg> Enlarge > View<http://www.downtoearth.org.in/image/20081015/58L.jpg> > *Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Pakistan particularly vulnerable to extreme > weather conditions * > > Flood-risk hotspots occur in Africa, including the Sahel, the Horn of > Africa, Great Lakes region, Central Africa and Southeast Africa; Central, > South and Southeast Asia; and Central America and the western part of South > America > > Drought-risk hotspots are located in sub-Saharan Africa; South Asia, > particularly Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India; and South East Asia, > particularly Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia > > Cyclone-risk hotspots include Mozambique and Madagascar, Central America, > Bangladesh, several parts of India, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian > countries. As the frequency and intensity of cyclones increases, so will the > number of communities at high risk. This will include communities further > inland that are not used to coping with such disasters > > Areas at risk from more than one climate related disaster include much of > sub- Saharan Africa, especially the east coast, and much of South Asia > > Some areas are at the risk of all three disasters. These include Southeast > Africa and parts of South and Southeast Asia > > Human induced climate change magnifies the risk of disasters—avalanches, > extremes of temperature, droughts, floods, landslides, wild fires and wind > storms—everywhere but especially in those parts of the world where there are > already high levels of human vulnerability > > > Losses galore > > Between 2005 and 2006, natural disasters killed 120,000 people, affected 271 > million more and caused economic losses totalling US $250 billion > > In the decade 1984-1993, 1.6 billion people were affected by natural > disasters compared with 2.6 billion in the following decade (1994-2003) > > Disaster cost between 1990 and 1999 was more than 15 times higher ( US $652 > billion in material losses) than it was between 1950 and 1959 ( US $38 > billion at 1998 values). > > 68 per cent of deaths and 89 per cent of all economic losses between 2000 > and 2007 resulted from weather-related disasters (Climate change threatens > to dramatically increase both the number of people affected and the scale of > economic damage) > > > In the near future > > During the next 20-30 year period, we are likely to see: > > The number of people impacted by water scarcity may increase from 1.7 > billion in 2000 to around 5 billion by 2025. Climate change will account for > roughly 20 per cent of this growth > > Intensification of the water cycle, tropical cyclones (due to higher sea > surface temperatures) and a polarization of rainfall pattern > > Longer dry periods in many parts of the world > > Increase in the number, intensity and duration of droughts > > *Source: *Humanitarian Implications of Climate Change Report—Mapping > emerging trends and risk hotspots (commissioned by CARE International and > the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) > > -- > Dr.V.N.Sharma > http://canvas.nowpos.com/vnsharma > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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