Blue Carbon

Figure 11. Trends in number of reported disasters (see text).

Number of disasters per year

450

Trends in number of reported disasters

Much of the increase in the number of hazardous events reported is probably due to significant improvements in information access and also to population growth, but the number of floods and cyclones reported is still rising compared to earthquakes. Is global warming affecting the frequency of natural hazards?

400

All disasters

350

All disasters include: drought, earthquake, extreme temperatures, famine, flood, insect infestation, slides, volcanic eruption, wave and surge, wild fires, wind storm.

300

250

250

200

200

Earthquakes versus climatic disasters

150

150

Floods

100

100

Earthquakes

Cyclones

50

50

Earthquakes

0

0

1900

1920 1940 1960

2000

1980

2010

1980 1985 1990 1995

2000

2005 2010

Source: CRED Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2006, 2007.

Figure 12. Projected population flooded in coastal areas by 2080 (see text).

Population flooded in coastal areas in 2080 Million people per year (logarithmic scale)

1000

no additional efforts undetaken more protection efforts than today

strong efforts to protect coastal populations against floods

100

Source: H. Ahlenius, GEO Ice and Snow, 2007, based on Nicholls, R.J. and Lowe, J.A., 2006. Note: The upper margin of each band shows the amount of people affected in the A2 scenario according to which global population will reach 14 thousand million by 2080 with the lowest GDP of all IPCC scenarios. Therefore little capacity exists to adapt, and more people will be affected by floods. The lower end of each curve shows the impact for the A1/B1 scenario assuming the highest per captia income and world population at 8 thousand million, allowing for higher investments in the protection of the population.

10

1

Sea-level rise

0.1

Metres 1.00

0

0.25

0.50

0.75

31