The costliest climate catastrophes of 2022

The costliest climate catastrophes of 2022


The president of the British NGO Christian Aid, Patrick Watt, recalled that “behind the dollar figures lie millions of stories of human suffering

Bruce Hickey, 70, walks along the shoreline, now littered with debris, including shrimp boats, at the mobile home park where he and his wife, Kathy, have a winter home on San Carlos Island, Fort Myers Beach, Florida on October 1, 2019. 5, 2022, one week after Hurricane Ian

Bruce Hickey, 70, walks in the mobile home park where he and his wife, Kathy, have a home in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, a week after Hurricane ‘Ian’ struck

Rebecca Blackwell/AP

A study published yesterday by the British NGO Christian Aid establishes the ranking of the most costly climate catastrophes of 2022 from an economic point of view. The president of the entity, Patrick Watt, recalled that “behind the figures in dollars lie millions of stories of human suffering. If greenhouse gas emissions are not drastically reduced, this human and economic cost will only increase”.

Fallen trees following Hurricane Fiona in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Monday, Sept.  26, 2022. Fiona, the most powerful storm of this year's Atlantic hurricane season, roared ashore in eastern Nova Scotia early Saturday as one of the strongest systems ever to hit the region, knocking out power, toppling trees and forcing residents to flee.  Photographer: Darren Calabrese/Bloomberg

10

Hurricane ‘Fiona’. €2.8 billion

On September 18, Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico. 8 people died. It continued in the Dominican Republic, with 13,000 displaced people. It also hit Bermuda and Canada with heavy damage.

SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 09: Impact of heavy rains and flooding across Kliptown in Soweto on December 09, 2022 in Soweto, South Africa.  The Gauteng region has been experiencing heavy rains and severe storms recently.  (Photo by Fani Mahuntsi/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

9

Floods in South Africa. €2.8 billion

In April, heavy rains caused flooding in several regions. At least 459 people died and more than 40,000 were displaced. A national state of catastrophe was declared.

In 2020, large-scale fires consumed more than 20% of the Pantanal wetlands, in the midwest of Brazil.  The recurrent lack of rainfall in the region, in addition to the total absence of environmental protection policies, started an unprecedented crisis, which puts people and the biome's rich biodiversity at risk.  In September, Greenpeace Brazil visits the region to bear witness to the problem and provide support to associations that operate in the Pantanal.  Mato Grosso (BR).  In 2020, large fires will consume more than 20% of the Pantanal, not the center-west of Brazil.  Due to the lack of current rains in the region, due to the absence of environmental protection policies, the beginning of a crisis without precedents, which puts people at risk and the rich biodiversity of the biome.  In September, Greenpeace was in the region to record the problem and support the organizations that operate in the Pantanal.

8

Drought in Brazil. €3,750 million

During the first quarter of the year, Brazil’s agricultural GDP fell by 8%, largely due to poor soybean and corn harvests caused by drought, with a cumulative effect for three years in a row.

A view of damage to the roof of the O2 Arena, caused by Storm Eunice, in south east London, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022. London Fire Brigade said that there were no reports of any injuries as around 1,000 people were evacuated from the building, formerly known as the Millennium Dome, which hosts major events including concerts and features restaurants, bars, shops and a cinema.  Millions of Britons were urged to cancel travel plans and stay indoors Friday amid fears of high winds and flying debris as the second major storm in the week prompted a rare

7

Squall ‘Eunice’. €4 billion

In February, a cyclone caused extensive damage in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom, killing at least 16 people. The winds were record high: 196.3 km/h.

Nowshera (Pakistan), 08/29/2022.- People wade through a flooded area following heavy rains in Nowshera District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 29 August 2022. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on 27 August, flash Floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have killed over 1,000 people across Pakistan since mid-June 2022. More than 33 million people have been affected by floods, the country's climate change minister said.  (Floods) EFE/EPA/BILAWAL ARBAB

6

Floods in Pakistan. €5.3 billion

In summer, Pakistan had 37% more rainfall than the average for the monsoon season. 1.1 million head of cattle died and 3.8 million hectares of crops were destroyed.

Millers Forest (Australia), 07/11/2022.- Floodwaters recede around this house in Millers Forest, New South Wales, Australia, 12 July 2022. The clean up gets underground throughout the Hunter Valley following the unprecedented floods that hit the area.  (Floods) EFE/EPA/DARREN PATEMAN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

5

Floods in Australia. €7 billion

In March, the Queensland and New South Wales regions had their year’s rainfall in one week. In April, Sydney recorded a month’s worth in a single day. 20,000 houses flooded.

Gan Bingdong stands in the basin of a community reservoir near his farm that ran nearly empty after its retaining wall started to leak and hot weather and drought conditions accelerated the loss of water, in Longquan village in southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality, Saturday, Aug. 20 , 2022. Drought conditions across a swathe of China from the densely populated east across central farming provinces into eastern Tibet have

4

Drought in China. €7.9 billion

Low levels of the Yangtze River, China’s largest, affected hydroelectric power generation and paralyzed shipping. There were limitations and rationing of electricity in some areas.

A man sits on top of a car as he is stranded on a flooded street in Tianjin, China, July 20, 2016. Picture taken July 20, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.  EDITORIAL USE ONLY.  CHINESE OUT.  NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA.  TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

3

Floods in China. €11.5 billion

During the rainy season, extensive flooding occurred in various regions of the country. There were 239 deaths. The water level in Guangdong was the highest in 50 years. The factories stopped.

TOPSHOT - Dry soil of the partially dried-up river bed of the Rhine is pictured in Duesseldorf, western Germany, on July 25, 2022, as Europe experiences a heatwave.  (Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP)

2

Drought in Europe. €18.8 billion

The summer of 2022 was the hottest on record in Europe. In the United Kingdom, temperatures exceeded 40ºC for the first time. Damage to agriculture and large fires. An excess of 20,000 deaths.

-- AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2022 -- People clear debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Florida on September 30, 2022. - Forecasters expect Hurricane Ian to cause life-threatening storm surges in the Carolinas on Friday after unleashing devastation in Florida, where it left a yet unknown number of dead in its wake.  After weakening across Florida, Ian regained its Category 1 status in the Atlantic Ocean and was headed toward the Carolinas, the US National Hurricane Center said Friday.  (Photo by Giorgio VIERA / AFP) / AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2022

1

Hurricane ‘Ian’. €94 billion

On September 26, Hurricane Ian reached Cuba, causing three deaths and 30,000 evacuees. Two days later it caused the death of 130 people in Florida (USA) and the evacuation of another 10,000.

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