Natural disasters made more severe by climate change will hit especially hard in regions with shaky political, economic, and security situations, says a new report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and relief agency CARE International. Vulnerable areas include central Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Sahel; Afghanistan, the Caspian region, India, Iran, and Pakistan; and Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, and Myanmar. “The likelihood of floods, violent storms, and droughts resulting in disasters is determined by a number of factors, including timely access to proper equipment, information, and the capacity to exert political influence,” says CARE’s Dr. Charles Ehrhart. More frequent and intense extreme-weather events, he notes, “will not necessarily cause a corresponding rise in disasters if world leaders act now.” The report recommends that humanitarian groups help strengthen local disaster preparedness and response capacity and focus beyond short-term aid.
