In 2024, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded 393 natural hazard-related disasters. These events caused 16,753 fatalities and affected 167.2 million people. Economic losses totaled US$241.95 billion. The year 2024 was marked by extreme temperature events in Asia that caused thousands of deaths, severe droughts in Africa affecting over 25 …
Floods, storms, drought and other climate-related natural disasters drove 20 million people from their homes last year, nearly four times as many as were displaced by conflicts, a new UN report said on Tuesday. The study tried to quantify for the first time the number of people forced to flee …
A huge outback dust storm swept eastern Australia and blanketed Sydney on Wednesday, disrupting transport, forcing people indoors and stripping thousands of tonnes of valuable farmland topsoil. The dust blacked out the outback town of Broken Hill on Tuesday, forcing a zinc mine to shut down, and swept 1,167 km …
A dust storm swept across eastern Australia and blanketed Sydney on Wednesday, disrupting transport, placing health authorities on alert for widespread respiratory illness and stripping thousands of tonnes of topsoil off Australia's main farmlands. Following are answers to questions about the storm. WHAT CAUSED THE DUST STORM? During winter in …
The world leaders who met at the United Nations to discuss climate change on Tuesday are faced with an intricate challenge: building momentum for an international climate treaty at a time when global temperatures have been relatively stable for a decade and may even drop in the next few years. …
Many of the world's largest deltas are densely populated and heavily farmed. Yet many of their inhabitants are becoming increasingly vulnerable to flooding and conversions of their land to open ocean. The vulnerability is a result of sediment compaction from the removal of oil, gas and water from the delta's …
In the face of one of the most fundamental challenges - global warming - the government should adopt policy changes, take initiatives and prepare for effective representation at the Road to Copenhagen (COP 15). This conclusion was drawn at a workshop arranged by the ministry of environment in collaboration with …
Scientists and researchers at a dialogue in Rajshahi on Monday categorically stated that the industrial and richer nations are responsible for the climate change and they should take effective decisions right now to face the adverse impact of climate change and other environmental degradations. They viewed that the climate change …
Australians Lesley and Doug McGrath have for decades battled ocean swells that have eaten away at the backyard of their multi-million dollar Sydney home. They bought an old beach shack on Collaroy Beach in 1976 and replaced it with a two storey home anchored to the land by 12 meter …
Over the last 50 years, nine out of ten natural disasters around the world have been the result of extreme weather and climate events. Storms, floods, droughts, heatwaves, dust storms, wildfires and many other natural hazards threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. The threat is expected …
Insurance is an under-used way for the tourism industry to manage the risks of climate change, with existing offers ranging from a "perfect weather guarantee" by Barbados to ski resorts promising deep snow, experts say. "Insurance products...have a huge potential for tourism," Daniel Scott, chair of a team on tourism …
Two visiting UK ministers on Monday conveyed the commitment of their government to help Bangladesh meet the challenges of climate change. They apprised the commitment at a press conference at the British High Commission Club of city's Baridhara yesterday. British Council arranged the press briefing to launch its new project …
As the climate changes during the 21st century, larger cyclonic storm surges and growing populations may collide in disasters of unprecedented size. As conditions worsen, variations in coastal morphology will magnify the effects in some areas, while largely insulating others. This paper explores the implications for 84 developing countries and …
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday expressed concern over concretization of pavements in the capital, leading to a shrinkage of space for trees and sought response from the Centre and the state government on the issue. The HC was hearing a PIL which pointed out that trees were getting uprooted …
The Delhi High Court sought response from the Centre and the Delhi government on a PIL seeking its direction to de-concretise pavements in the capital. The petition pointed out that trees on the pavements have become weak due to concretisation as roots were not getting sufficient nourishment. Advocate Sugreev Dubey, …
Taiwan's cabinet approved a special T$100 billion ($2.9 billion) budget on Thursday for typhoon reconstruction after the worst storm in 50 years killed about 500 people and left destruction across the island's south. The cabinet passed the three-year reconstruction budget to cover rebuilding damaged areas, where farm and factory-related losses …
The Maldives on Wednesday said a budget crisis will keep its president from attending landmark U.N. climate talks, the results of which could have a huge effect on the future of the low-lying archipelago. Famed mostly for its high-end luxury resorts and white-sand atolls, the Maldives has also made a …
To support and restore damage caused by the recent flood and storm that hit Bhutan on May 26, the Indian government granted a cheque of Nu 100m to Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley yesterday. The cheque was handed over by the Indian ambassador to Bhutan, Pavan K Verma, in the presence …
The amount of carbon locked away in frozen soils in the far Northern Hemisphere is double previous estimates and rapid melting could accelerate global warming, a study released on Wednesday says. Large areas of northern Russia, Canada, Nordic countries and the U.S. state of Alaska have deep layers of frozen …
patent Human genes create stir in US About 100,000 cancer patients, doctors, researchers and lawyers sued the US government for granting patents for two human genes. They said the patents deny women with breast and ovarian cancer the benefit of new tests and possible treatment. A company or an institution …
