Intensity of floods, storms can double in 13 years: Study

The rate at which carbon dioxide is being accumulated and emitted in the atmosphere can double the intensity of climate disasters within 21 years, according to a study.

The study describes how the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulation and its associated changes in climatic patterns contribute to the increased frequency of these disasters.

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The study published in Climate, Disaster and Development journal used climate data from 155 countries from 1970 to 2016. 

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In a span of 46 years, the research assessed the factors that have contributed to the increase in the frequency of intense flood and storm events.

For this purpose, it adopted a statistical and econometric approach instead of climate models.

The results showed that a continuous increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide along with socioeconomic factors significantly correlated with the increase in the number of extreme flood and storm events during the past four decades.

Moreover, the results reflected global climate conditions significantly affect the frequency of these disasters.

The estimates in this study further suggest that if current trends in environmental degradation and the accumulation of carbon dioxide is not curbed, then the frequency of climate disasters is bound to increase.

The study also suggested that the intensity of floods and storms can double in 13 years. 

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The research is different from previous ones as it examines how the effects of climate are examined within a socio-economic framework.

This includes factors that turn natural hazards into intense disasters. These factors include people’s increasing exposure and their vulnerability to these hazards.