Chapter 15. Natural Hazards and Climate Change

Geophysical hazards: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and landslides. Atmospheric hazards: tropical cyclones (hurricanes and typhoons), floods, droughts, heat waves and wildfires [4][5][6].

Risk depends on both the hazard and the vulnerability of the people exposed. Preparedness, early warning and building standards reduce disaster losses.

Climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that human activities, mainly the burning of fossil fuels and land-use change, have warmed the climate, with global surface temperature about 1.1 °C above pre-industrial levels in 2011–2020. Consequences include sea-level rise, melting glaciers, more intense heat waves and shifts in rainfall patterns [16].

Responses fall into mitigation (reducing greenhouse-gas emissions) and adaptation (adjusting to current and expected impacts).

Review: Why are low-lying island and delta regions especially vulnerable to sea-level rise?