<
https://theconversation.com/extreme-weather-has-already-cost-vulnerable-island-nations-us-141-billion-or-about-us-2-000-per-person-242640>
"Two years ago, when the curtain fell on the COP27 summit in Sharm El Sheikh,
Egypt, developing nations on the frontline of climate change had something
meaningful to celebrate.
The creation of a new fund for responding to loss and damage was agreed after a
hard-fought diplomatic effort, spearheaded by a group of small island
developing states (sometimes known as the Sids). The fund would provide much
needed support for climate-vulnerable nations faced with a spiralling human and
financial toll from sea-level rise, extreme temperatures, droughts, wildfires,
and intensifying floods and storms.
Yet two years on, the world’s wealthiest nations – also the largest carbon
emitters – are still dragging their feet. They’ve not followed up their pledges
with anywhere near the finance required.
Some nations, particularly the 39 Sids, which include places like Barbados,
Grenada, Fiji and Vanuatu, are uniquely vulnerable to climate change and are
already paying the price.
Sky-high ocean temperatures created the conditions for Hurricane Beryl to
develop in July this year, as the earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane on
record in the Caribbean. As oceans warm up, climate science tells us that this
rapid intensification is becoming more common.
The island nation of Fiji, best known as a tropical paradise, has experienced a
frightening series of storms over recent years, linked to climate change.
Cyclone Winston in 2016, one of the most intense on record, caused widespread
flooding and lead to the loss of 44 lives.
This episode reduced Fiji’s GDP growth by 1.4 percentage points. According to
the Asian Development Bank, ongoing losses from climate change could reach 4%
of Fiji’s annual GDP by 2100, as higher temperatures and more extreme weather
hold back growth.
This isn’t an isolated problem. Tropical cyclones and hurricanes have long
battered small islands, but what is new is how often the most extreme storms
and floods are happening, as well as our improved ability to measure their
economic effects."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
