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Friends of the Earth's report
"Gathering Storm"
Extreme weather report July - October 2000
Global indicators of climate change
MISERY FOR MANY
The distressing effects of extreme weather events have been illustrated
only too clearly by recent floods in China, Bangladesh, Europe,
Venezuela and Mozambique, famine in Sudan, and Hurricane Mitch in
Central America. Such events have killed thousands of people, displaced
millions and caused massive financial losses.
We cannot say for certain that individual events like these are
the direct result of human influence on the climate, but they do
show how vulnerable we are to climate changes and highlight the
inadequacy of existing coping strategies. Reflecting on actual recent
events brings home the immediacy of climate change amid the understandable
preoccupation with what lies ahead.
Dramatic as such crude statistics are, they hardly begin to describe
the devastating impact that individual weather events can have on
the lives of the people affected - or indeed, the scale of the problem
if governments do not act to limit future climate change.
EXAMPLES OF LAST YEAR'S CLIMATE DISASTERS
In just one year (August 1999 - August 2000) the disasters related
to climate and weather killed tens of thousands of people. The costs
of those disasters exceeded the costs of all such disasters during
the 1980s.
Aug 1999 - USA, NORTH AMERICA: Over 250 people die as a
result of a heatwave gripping much of the north-east. Agricultural
disaster areas are declared in 15 states with losses in West Virginia
alone exceeding $80 million.
Nov 1999 - India, ASIA: A cyclone devastates parts of eastern
India, killing up to 10,000 people and washing entire villages into
the Bay of Bengal.
Dec 1999 - Venezuela, SOUTH AMERICA: Up to 30,000 people
die and 150,000 are made homeless as torrential floods, mudslides
and overflowing rivers sweep through the country.
Dec 1999 - France, WESTERN EUROPE: Storms tear through France,
kill 83 people and leave many without power for two months.
Feb 2000 - SOUTHERN AFRICA: floods drive more than 100, 000
people from their homes in Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa.
Thousands are stranded on treetops in Mozambique and the risk of
disease threatens a major public health crisis.
Apr 2000 - Ethiopia, AFRICA: Drought and forest fires devastate
crops in Kenya and Ethiopia threatening the livelihoods of 8 million
people.
Aug 2000 - India, ASIA: heavy flooding in north-eastern India
makes at least 4.5 million people homeless, kills more than 400
and causes devastation to crops and infrastructure.
Aug 2000 - US, NORTH AMERICA: forest fires in the US set
about 4.3 million acres (1.74 million hectares) ablaze. This makes
the fire season to date one of the worst on record, with winds whipping
flames as high as 80 feet (26 metres). Some of the fires are expected
to burn until the autumn snow arrives.
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