Since 1990, annual losses of around $60 billion worldwide due to extreme weather events have been recorded, costing a record $200 billion in 2005. Weather related catastrophes have increased 2% each year since the 1970s, based on insurance industry data

Since 1990 annual losses of around $60 billion worldwide due to extreme weather events (0.2% of World GDP) have been recorded, costing a record $200 billion in 2005 (0.5% of World GDP). Weather related catastrophes have increased 2% each year since the 1970s, based on insurance industry data.

In late November 1998, the total losses, worldwide, from storms, floods, droughts, and fires for the first eleven months of the unusual year 1998 was a record $89 billion: nearly 50 percent higher than the previous record of $60 billion in 1996. In addition to material losses, these weather-related events had taken an estimated 32,000 lives, while displacing 300 million people from their homes: more than the populations of Canada and the United States combined.

“According to the World Health Organization climate change impacts are already claiming around 160,000 human lives globally every year, through, for example, extreme weather, disease and malnutrition . The WHO and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Diseases predict this number could double by 2020.”

“Global warming could ‘commit to extinction’ between 18% and 35% of animal and plant species by 2050.”

Source: Stern Review Report on the Economics of Climate Change (Chapter 5)

Date: 2006

Source: The Extreme Weather Events of 1997 and 1998 – Consequences Vol. 5, No. 1, 1999

Date: 1999

Source: Indications of climate change – Recent Extreme global weather events (PDF) – United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Date: 1999

Source: A disaster for humanity and nature – Greenpeace

Date: Retrieved 30 March 2010